One Fleeting Moment
by ThatOnePsycho
Summary: Why was it that Ruby's first vacation in long time went just as wrong as everything else? Was it too much to pop in, say hi to Yang and then head back to Hydaelyn before Ifirt got summoned on another rampage or something? Eh, at least it gave her time to hang out with Lyse and Y'shtola.
1. Chapter 1

The sound of snow crunching underfoot was the only noise that accompanied Ruby as she made the familiar trek up to her destination. Nonetheless, one hand remained ready to draw the heavy blade on her back.

Finally arriving, Ruby reached up, removing the helm and dropping it into the disturbed snow before kneeling down, "Hey, Haurche."

The tombstone on Haurchefant Greystone was predictably silent. Not that Ruby expected or needed a response, "Sorry I haven't been to visit in a while, things went kinda plumshaped. Do they have that phrase in Ishgard? I remember Uncle Qrow used it once. It means something going wrong, because… actually, I dunno why. Maybe whoever came up with it didn't like the shape of plums?"

Ruby shook her head, "No, nevermind that, not important. Uh… the bad news is that Papalymo is… Well, he's with you now. Uhh… Fray popped back up, probably because of that… but don't worry! She's working with me now! Got that bit of craziness completely under control!"

Ruby gave a skittish laugh, "Anyways, back on topic! Me and Lyse, uh, that's Yda. It's a long story but turns out Yda died before I ever got to know her, and the Yda I knew was her sister. Crazy, right? And Thancred knew and never told me! What kinda jerk move is that?

Anyways, We went to Ala Mhigo to look into this Primal, Shinryu. The Garleans got it, because of course they did. Then we went to Doma and fought another Primal…"

Ruby lapsed into silence, staring at the broken shield leaning against the tombstone. Searching for something, _anything_ to say. Finally, all she could give was a strangled, "I shouldn't have to tell you these things, Haurche. You shouldn't-"

 _Oh, do not look at me so. A smile better suits a hero._

"-Sorry," Ruby repeated, a forced smile coming to her lips, "We got a lead back to Remnant. One that should let us get back here too! That'll be cool, right? Let me wrap up those loose ends long enough that I can focus on saving Hydaelyn. Meanwhile, Thancred is gonna look into the Garleans. But that means I'm not gonna be able to visit for a while. So…"

"Ruby!"

Ruby turned as Lyse came over the edge of the cliff, "What's wrong this time?"

"Nothing," Lyse said with a sigh, "Just wanted to make sure you were alright. You just left in the middle of the night."

"I wanted to visit Haurche," Ruby defended, standing up.

"In full armor?"

"You can't be too safe," Ruby said, "Everyone seems to think bullying the Warrior of Light is a good idea!"

"Riiiight," Lyse said, "Well, are you gonna be done soon? Because if not, I'm heading back, since I'm _not_ dressed in furred plate."

"No," Ruby started, "I mean, yeah, I'm good."

"Good!" Lyse chirped, grabbing Ruby's hand and tugging her along.

"Woah!" Ruby pinwheeled her free arm to stay steady as she suddenly began moving.

They were halfway back to camp before Lyse spoke, "Does it help? Talking to him?"

"Help with what?"

"Just… help," Lyse said, "I didn't do it after Yda died, but after Papalymo…"

"Sometimes it does," Ruby said.

Other times, it meshed with Ruby's soul crystal in unhealthy ways. But since Lyse didn't have that problem…

"I might try it," Lyse said, before looking at Ruby with an impish smile, "Now, I'll race you back!"

"Wai-!" Ruby sighed as the other Scion rushed off. That…

Oh, it was _on_!

\- X **Lyse** X-

"You really don't have to come."

Lyse rolled her eyes as Ruby repeated herself for the millionth time, "We know that, we want to come."

"But-"

"Nope!" Lyse said, "No buts! Eorzea's had its butt saved more times than anyone can count by someone from Remnant, helping that someone is the least we can do."

"You know she's right," Thancred said, the eyepatched Scion was seated at the table in Ruby's Shirogane residence, "This isn't a rampaging Primal, you don't need to have this burden alone."

"She-" Urianger visibly recoiled as Lyse stepped on his toe, nodding towards the Scions unofficial leader, who was clutching her head. The Elezen was wise enough to shut his mouth.

"I- Shut up!" Ruby cut herself off, shaking her head, "Sorry. If you're with me, who's gonna watch things here?"

"Those of us who remain behind," Urianger said, "Four members does not the Scions make, we c-

"Sorry, _what did you just say_?" Lyse cut in, "Papalymo never said anything like that!"

"The point is, it's fine." Thancred continued for Urianger, "We can hold down the fort here."

"I-" Ruby's eyes watered, "I couldn't ask for a better family than you guys."

"We could say the same about you," Thancred said, "Now, I should probably be going, infiltrations won't do themselves."

"If anything goes wrong-"

"I'll tell Urianger, who will tell you," he said, catching the hug from Ruby, "I'll see you when we're both done."

"Yeah," Ruby said, "see you then. C'mon, Lyse."

\- X **Ruby** X-

 _Hear. Feel. Think._

 _Ruby was floating in a void, looking around in exhaustion, "Wuzgoin'on?"_

" _Childe," a calm female voice called, "Come to mine embrace…"_

 _Ruby blinked as she noticed a dot of light in the distance, floating towards it. Slowly, a giant rock came into view, "Uhhh… Hi?"_

" _Hello," Ruby jerked back as the rock pulsed, the calm voice echoing out of it, "Mine apologises, I did not wish to frighten thee."_

" _Why are you talking like that?_

 _The crystal was silent for a minute, "Would thou hast me speak differently?"_

" _Uhhhhhh… What?"_

 _The crystal was silent for even longer, "Is this better?"_

 _The nine year old nodded, "Yeah!"_

" _Then I will speak like this," the crystal said, "Hello, Ruby. I am Hydaelyn, the All Made On-"_

" _Wait, howdya know my name?" Ruby asked._

 _Hydaelyn went quite again, just for a second, "I know many people's names. It's my job to know those who hold Light in their hear-"_

" _Like the Winter Maiden?"_

 _Hydaelyn's voice was amused as it came back, "Very much like her, yes. Tell me, Ruby, is it true you wish to be a hero?"_

" _Course I do. Why?"_

" _What if I told you that there was a world out there in desperate need of a hero?"_

" _Why?"_

" _There are creatures encroaching that plan to consu-"_

" _What?"_

" _There are monsters of darkness getting ready to attack."_

" _Oh," Ruby said, "And you want me to be the hero?"_

" _If you are willing."_

 _Ruby nodded, "Ok!"_

" _Are you certain? This won't-"_

" _If you're like the Winter Maiden, and you think they need me, then I'll be your gift to them!" Ruby said with a broad smile._

" _Thank you," Hydaelyn said, her voice breaking from the calm tone it had for the first time as Ruby felt herself be pulled into a shining light behind her, "and I'm sorry."_

 _Sorry? Sorry for wha-?_

\- X **Jaune** X-

Jaune looked up at the heavy thud that shook the house, pausing his game and pulling down his headphones. His door crashed open with a bang, showing his older sister panting on the doorway with a duffle bag, "Jaune, come on!"

"What's going on?"

"Grimm!" Aurora said, yanking open his dresser and stuffing the bag with his clothes, "They're evacuating!"

"What? Why?"

"Just to be sa-" Aurora was cut off by a roar, "There's a group of hunters dealing with them now! Come on!"

Jaune followed Aurora down the stairs and out the house, looking towards where the roars were coming from… and pausing as he caught sight of one of the Huntresses.

She was about the same age as Jaune, with white hair in a braid, a cream colored coat, a glowing purple rapier in one hand and a weird glowing ornament floating above the other. What the heck?

She dodged around a swing from a bear Grimm, driving her rapier into its side as another Grimm went flying by Jaune, a blur of red rushing past immediately after.

"Jaune!" Aurora called, grabbing his arm and tugging him along, "Come on!"

"Right!" Jaune nodded as they slipped around the back of their neighbor's house, leaving the red clad woman to pound on another Grimm, "Who are they?"

"Don't know," Aurora said, "Don't really care! Come on!"

They came back out around three houses down, and Jaune took another look behind them, only to stop dead and yell, "Look out!"

In hindsight, when he thought back to this moment, Jaune Arc would kick himself for distracting the white haired girl, realizing he had very nearly done all the more harm than good as she glanced even further away from the giant bear currently bearing down on her to look at him. At the moment, however, all Jaune could do was feel a spike of fear as he realized there was no one close enough to save her.

Or, at least, that's what he thought.

Dust exploded out from the point, blinding Jaune for a second before settling down and revealing the man clad in black plate armor, an absolutely massive black and red sword slanted over the girl to direct the bear's claws away from her.

"Alisaie," the swordsman said, voice distorted by the black helmet on their head.

"Of course!" the girl said, running the bear through in an explosion of red light. Turning, she span so she was pressed against the man's back, "Shall we finish this?"

"Lyse!" the man called to the woman in red, who looked up, "Go get Y'shtola, tell her we don't need to evacuate after all."

"Really?" Lyse asked.

"Yes," he said, "I'll deal with the leftovers."

"Fine," she said with a wave, "Fine…"

"Alisaie," he said, "Take those two inside."

"Are you certain? I can-"

"Trust me," he said, before shifting his sword.

"Very well," she sighed, gesturing for them to lead the way just before he stepped into the house, Jaune looked behind him in time to see the armored man draw his sword from the ground.

\- X **Lyse** X-

Lyse looked behind her as Ruby shifted stances, Void tainted Aether rising off her as the last Grimm were drawn to it. The Warrior of Light paused for a second, before swinging her sword in a horizontal slash. A thin line of black and purple flame flowed from the tip of the blade before expanding explosively as it hit the Grimm.

Coiling her body like a spring, Lyse leapt onto the rooftops, rushing over them with ease. As she did, she raised her hand to the linkpearl embedded in an earring, "Y'shtola?"

"Yes?" the Miqo'te said.

"How far out are you?"

"Not very, unfortunately, there was a family insisting we remain behind long enough for their children to arrive. Unfortunately, they never did-"

"Yeah," Lyse said, "I think we met them, they're fine. Tell the villagers to turn around, Ruby's dealing with the last of the Grimm now."

"Very well," Y'shtola's voice cut out.

"Send up a flare, would you? I want to meet up."

Not far in the distance, a glowing ball launched up. Lyse took off in a rush of wind, dodging around trees and animals until she was even with the wagon Y'shtola was in, before hopping up and across from her, "Hi!"

"Hello," Y'shtola said, turning enough that she was facing Lyse, though her eyes were focused over the pugilist's shoulder.

"Anything?" Lyse asked.

"About the Grimm?" Y'shtola asked, nudging her staff, Ruby's extra weapons and the spare clothes and food they had brought with them, "To some extent. They are created of Aether, but not like Primals or summons."

"That's weird," Lyse said.

"Lyse?" Y'shtola said, "Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"Why did you return?" Y'shtola said, "You hardly…"

"When I was younger," Lyse started, "my sister came back from one of her missions with a group of Ala Mhigan refugees. One of them just… he stopped doing anything. He sat down outside our home and wasted away. When I asked Yda about it, she said something like 'There's only so much loss someone can take before they stop functioning, Lyse'... How much more do you think Ruby can take before she reaches that point? Remnant, Haurchefant, Ysayle, Papalymo, Minfilia… and those are the ones we know about. Even if I 'just' left the Scions for Ala Mhigo, it'd be another loss to Ruby. I couldn't do that to her."

"I see," Y'shtola said, "That's, I hadn't considered that but you are correct. Ruby already had a bad reaction to losing us after the Braves betrayed us."

"I still remember meeting back up with her," Lyse said, rubbing her side, "I think she broke three of my ribs with that hug."

\- X **Jaune** X-

Jaune turned as his mother called his name, being quickly swept into a hug alongside his youngest sister, "Mom?"

"Do you know how worried we were?" Riley Arc whispered as the armored knight sidled around them with a large bag, disappearing into Orlena's room.

"Jaune was zoned out," Aurora said.

"I don't care," Riley said as Lyse followed the knight, causing Jaune to blurt out the first thing that came to his mind.

"Uh… What's going on? Where's dad?"

"Oh! Yes," Riley coughed, "Your father is at the CCT terminal, calling your sisters, assuming it isn't down. As for these four, they're going to be staying the night."

"Y'shtola," the white haired Faunus holding a staff said with a smile, "I'm told you're already acquainted with Lyse and Ru-"

"Hey, Y'shtola!" Jaune turned to see a woman around Lyse's age with brown and red hair sticking her head out of Orlena's room, "Which pocket didja stick my vest in?"

"Which?"

"My training one!"

"Left one."

Another call came from the room, "Lyse wants to know which left one!"

"The smaller!"

Lyse yelled something, causing the woman to nod, "She found it! Than-"

"You're a girl?" Jaune blurted out, causing Aurora's hand to hit her face with a loud smack.

"Smooth," Aurora muttered.

"Yep!" the woman said, apparently unfazed by Jaune's surprise, ducking back into the room as an awkward silence fell across the room.

"That was Ruby," Y'shtola said without blinking.

"Trust her to immediately jump from one fight to another," Alisaie groused from the couch, causing Jaune to jump as he was reminded she was there.

\- X **Ruby** X-

Ruby hopped from one foot to the other, waiting for Lyse to finish getting ready for their spar. She heard the blond boy, Jaune, speak up from his spot next to Y'shtola, "Can I ask you something?"

"You may."

"What's that symbol on yours and Ruby's neck? I mean, it's gotta mean something if you both decided to get the same tattoo, right?"

"It is a symbol of the scholars of Sharlayan, only those who excel in their school are allowed to bear it."

"So that means Ruby is some sort of genius?"

Ruby was halfway through a snort when Y'shtola gave her answer. Her, a genius?

"It depends on who you ask, I suppose. Ruby's field tends to be looked down upon, and I am sure there are many of Sharlayan that would be enraged to see her bear it as she got it without permission. Nonetheless, Ruby _is_ the foremost of her field."

"Which is?"

"The disruption of Aetheric condensation embodying the collective beliefs of sapient beings through spiritual refraction and control of Abyssal energy."

She had just made that up off the top of her head, hadn't she?

"What?"

"It isn't something easily explained," Y'shtola said, leaving Ruby to roll her eyes. She was sure her friend could if she wanted to, but-

"Alright, I'm ready!"

Ruby turned on her heel to look at Lyse, only to catch sight of the martial artist and lose control of the spin. Ruby winced as she crashed shoulder first into the ground, doing her best to ignore the popping noise.

Shaking her head, Ruby looked up at Lyse, who was standing over her wearing the outfit she had been wearing at the start of their journey to Ala Mhigo. Namely a red, open jacket, a sports bra, and her red greaves.

"Where's your normal stuff?" Ruby asked weakly, taking Lyse's outstretched hand and climbing to her feet.

"Oh, Riley offered to wash our gear," Lyse said, "and since I haven't worn this, I figured it would be better to get my normal outfit cleaned. Who knows the next time we'll get the chance, right?"

"Probably not until we get to Vale at the earliest," Ruby agreed, noticing Jaune sit up straighter at the mention of the kingdom, "Ready?"

"You know it!" Lyse said with a smile, jumping back until she was three yalms away from Ruby. The two hyur bowed to each other, before they settled into their preferred stances. Ruby took a deep breath, trying to activate the Echo.

A ghostly Lyse rushed across the gap, hand curled into a claw. Ruby swung a hand up, batting aside the actual Lyse's hand, ducking as the Echo Lyse's foot sailed through her head, grabbing Lyse's other foot and sending her into a flip.

Lyse landed gracefully, smiling at Ruby as her Echo launched to the side. Ruby waited for Lyse to begin moving before she launched to intercept, flames coiling around her hand as she swung for Lyse's gut.

The Echo dove into a roll, followed shortly by Lyse, and Ruby span in place as the Echo's foot sailed by her again. The Warrior of Light backpedaled, putting space in between her and Lyse.

If only she had gained enough control to do this before…

" _Look out!"_

 _Ruby turned in time to see the spear of white light strike Haurchefant's shield, energy leaching into the air before it gave out, blood flying from Haurchefant's mouth as the spear tore through his chain mail like paper. Ruby felt Gae Bolg nearly slip through numb fingers as he staggered back, "No…"_

 _Ruby focused on the knight standing on a pillar, gripping her spear as tightly as possible… and launched it at him. His eyes widened, apparently startled by the brazen attack as the barbed spear sank into his gut through his armor and the leather strap holding his sword to his back and he fell back onto the deck of the airship._

 _Ruby turned back to Haurchefant, sinking to her knees as Aymeric propped the knight up, "Haurche?"_

" _You… you are unharmed?" the Silver Fuller asked weakly, "Forgive me, I couldn't bear the thought of…"_

" _And you think I want to?" Ruby croaked, gripping Haurchefant's hand, "I would have been fine, Haurche. I-"_

" _Oh," Haurchefant said, "do not look at me so. A smile better suits a hero."_

 _Ruby hid a sob and forced herself to smile, "Right…"_

 _Haurchefant gave another weak smile and tightened his grip on Ruby's hand the best he could before the Silver Fuller finished draining and he went still._

 _Ruby gave a broken sob, all but pulling Haurchefant from Aymeric and clutching him like a lifeline. Estinien placed a hand on her shoulder, the Azure Dragoon speaking quietly, "Ruby, we need to go. Every second we delay is a second they escape. Haurchefant would not have want that."_

" _Right," Ruby mumbled, standing up and looking around. A weapon... she needed a… there! "Alph, you get Haurche back to his family. I have a Primal to kill…"_

" _Ruby!" Alphinaud called as Ruby grabbed the greatsword, "Don't… Haurchefant wouldn't want you to throw your life-!"_

" _Alph," Ruby said, "I'm not gonna die to an old man and his friends playing Primal."_

"Ruby!" Ruby blinked, staring at the sky. Had she just… had she really just had an Echo Vision? She supposed she deserved that, for thinking about it in full Echo mode, "Ruby, are you alright? You just, I don't know, you fell back and started to…"

Ruby reached up and felt the wetness on her cheeks, "'M fine."

"It was… What was it?" Lyse asked.

"Haurche," Ruby mumbled, feeling like someone had gouged open a wound. Twelve save her, Myste was gonna have a field day next time she reared her ugly...

Ok, so maybe it wasn't that ugly a head. It looked like a young Haurche.

"C'mon," Lyse said, throwing one of Ruby's arms over her shoulder and using it to prop up the barely responsive Warrior of Light, "Y'shtola, can you go make something to warm her up? Hot chocolate or tea if they have it?"

Y'shtola was silent for a moment in which everything seemed to get even more tense before she nodded, disappearing into the house as Ruby let herself be guided in after her.

\- X **Y'shtola** X-

"I can't thank you enough," Y'shtola said to Riley as they moved around the kitchen, "We're already imposing upon your hospitality and now this…"

"It's fine," Riley said with a small frown, head turned towards where Ruby was curled up on a couch, Lyse running a hand through the catatonic Warrior's hair, "My oldest daughter… she occasionally has similar attacks."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Y'shtola said, looking around for Alisaie and noticing her Aetheric signature talking with the boy, Jaune. Twelve bless that girl, "Still we will try to leave as soon as possi-"

"Nonsense!" Riley said, "You saved the village and we have more than enough space. Remain for as long as you need."

"Thank you," Y'shtola said, "but we need to depart for Vale before too long anyways. We'll stay for a few days, but no longer."

And if Ruby hadn't recovered by then, Y'shtola was dragging her back to Hydaelyn and calling for Thancred. Actually...

\- X **Jaune** X-

"So, uh," Jaune said, twiddling his thumbs, "How'd you get tied up with a bunch of older Huntresses?"

Alisaie looked up from where she was examining Jaune's still paused game with a look of interest before giving a slight laugh, "Of all the questions, that's the first you ask me?"

"Yeah?" Jaune asked.

"They used to work with my grandfather," Alisaie said, "and allowed me and my brother to join after he departed."

"Departed?"

"Died," Alisaie said.

"But… How'd your granddad get on a team with them then? I thought there was a rule about when you could start training?"

"The Scions don't act like regular Hunters," Alisaie said, "We feel that it's safer to field a larger group in the most dire situations."

"Then where were they today? And isn't it Huntsmen?"

Alisaie hesitated for a second, "Of course, how foolish of me. It's been a long day. As for the other Scions, they remained at our base while we go to visit Ruby's sister in Vale. They haven't seen each other in many years."

"Which school did you go to? Was it hard?"

"Quite," Alisaie said, "my brother was always the more clever of us, but while he whiled away the hours studying, I trained my body as well as my mind."

"So you need to know a lot to be a Huntsman? Isn't it just being a good fighter?"

"It's never enough to 'just' be a good fighter, Jaune," Alisaie sighed, "Do you think Ruby got where she was by being 'just' a good fighter?"

"What's Ruby got to do with it?" Jaune asked in confusion, looking down the hall towards the stairs raising a hand to wave at Y'shtola… who didn't respond to it.

"Oh," Alisaie recoiled into her jacket, a slight flush on her face, "Nothing, don't worry about it! Anyways, it-"

"Alisaie," Y'shtola spoke up from her place in the doorway, "Could I speak to you for a second, alone?"

"Of course," Alisaie said with a nod, following the faunus out of Jaune's room and into the one next door. Jaune leaned over, carefully pressing his ear against the thin wall, "What is it?"

"I'm considering calling upon Thancred," Y'shtola said.

"What? Why?"

"If there's anyone in the universe who can rally Ruby, it's him. They've known each other longer than anyone in the Scions… longer than you and your brother have been alive."

"But what about Alphin-?"

"That is exactly why I'm bringing it up to you," Y'shtola said, "I know you're worried about your brother, but if worst comes to worst-"

"-Ruby's more valuable than Alphinaud," Alisaie said with a sigh, "I know, but-"

"If that happens," Y'shtola said, "I'll depart to look for Alphinaud. I don't intend to abandon your brother, but I felt the need to warn you, so you don't become overly concerned if Thancred shows up."

"Is Ruby…?"

"Sleeping, at the moment," Y'shtola said, "Lyse is with her."

"I'm going to go check on her," Alisaie said, followed by the sound of the door opening, her walking away and-

"Tis rude to listen in on private conversations," Y'shtola said into the wall next to Jaune's ear, causing him to jump back off his bed with a yelp.

Probably should have seen that one coming.

\- X **Thancred** X-

 _Thancred watched the other urchin carefully, gripping his knives and quickly assessing the situation._

 _They were in the alley outside one of Limsa Lomasia's bakeries, both prepared to scavenge the leftovers from that night's dinner. Thancred was used to coming to blows over this matter, Limsa wasn't a nice place and had an abundance of homeless looking for something to eat._

 _Most of them, however, didn't have a pair of rusted swords attached at the hilt in one hand and a finishing spear in the other, looking ready to attack Thancred over the matter._

" _So," Thancred said, eyes locked onto the weapon, "I take it I can't convince you to just walk away?"_

 _The girl shook her head, saying something in a different language._

" _Would you please speak normally? It'd be much easier to work out a compromise if we could chat."_

 _The girl said something, shaking her head and giving a resigned shrug._

 _Thancred narrowed his eyes, "You can't?"_

 _The girl nodded._

" _But you can understand me?"_

 _She nodded again, saying something that Thancred was able to discern one word from, "Hydaelyn."_

" _Right then," Thancred said, "Let's start with something basic. I'm Thancred. What's your name?"_

" _Ruby."_

" _Ruby? That's your name?" the newly named 'Ruby' nodded, "Well then, Ruby, is there anything we can do to make things end in a way other than one of us becoming a nameless corpse in this alley?"_

 _Ruby slowly, reluctantly, nodded. Before she could get any further, however, they were interrupted by the sound of laughter from down the alley, "Isn't that cute? The little bitch found a friend!"_

 _Thancred turned, catching sight of the man holding a sword similar to Ruby's in one hand and a pistol in the other. Behind him were a pair of brutish looking roegadyn holding axes. Marauders._

" _What's go-"_

" _I'll give you one chance kid," the captain said, pointing his gun at Ruby, "Run. This is between us and-"_

 _Thancred blinked as Ruby's spear sailed across the space between them, stabbing into the captain's arm as she grabbed Thancred's hand, ducking as there was a clap of thunder behind them and Thancred heard something whiz by his ear._

 _Ruby pulled Thancred along, pulling him into another, smaller alley and pressing her fingers to her lips as the captain yelled, "Spread out and find her! That brat has made a fool of us too many times!"_

 _Ruby grabbed her blades, splitting them as one of the roegadyn walked by. Thancred held his breath as they passed by a second time._

 _Ruby lashed out, slashing through the back of his leg and smashing the hilts into the back of his head. There was another bang and Thancred saw her fall back with a yelp, dropping one blade and running away. The other roegadyn passed by and Thancred coiled up, waiting for the captain to pass._

 _Instead, he heard a yell of pain and the captain fell, a pair of knives lodged in his back. The owner yanked one out and moved half a step forward, stabbing the roegadyn in the back of the head. With the other hand, he picked up the captain's pistol and pulled the trigger, "Damn bastards. Oi! Brat, come out 'ere! And you, other brat! Come over!"_

 _Thancred carefully crawled out, clutching his daggers as the man in a dark green vest yanked a bit of cloth off the captain and cleaning his daggers. He gave a savage kick to the dead pirate's head, "I should thank ya, ya prat. Takes a special breed of idiot ta walk around so brazenly after hanging the code. Most would be lookin' for someplace far from Limsa to be hidin'. As for you, girl," he reached up, scooping up the pirate's sword and throwing it at Ruby, who caught it wide eyed, "you keep that. And if you ever need a job, ask for Jacke by the docks."_

 _As he passed, Thancred heard him mutter, "Twelve knows you did it today."_

 _Thancred turned at the jingle of metal, staring wide eyed at the bag of gil in Ruby's hand. The young girl looked just as startled, before her eyes met Thancred and she held it up._

 _Thancred didn't need to be able to speak the same language as her to understand the clear message._

 _Did he want to get some actual food for once in his life?_

 _-_ X **Ruby** X-

Ruby lay on the couch in silence, not even bothering to let go of Lyse's hand as she stared at the ceiling. "Midg, you there?"

"How many times must I express my hatred of that accused name before thou stop using it?" the Father of Dragons said with a rumble as he landed on the table.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Thou shall do it even if I refuse," Midgardsormr said, "so ask."

"Do you think… do you think Hydaelyn chose wrong, when she picked me?"

"Once, I did," Midgardsormr said, "I believe you to be a child handed power without deserving it. I do not believe that anymore. Might I inquire why you ask?"

"Sometimes I wonder if she did," Ruby said, "for every time I've saved the day, there's another where I failed. I failed to stop Dalamud and the Calamity-"

"-A reckoning that had been forming for five millennia. Not even the twelve Themselves were capable of calming the rancor of the Primal wearing my son's face's-" Midgardsormr said.

"-Louisoix got tempered-"

"-After the Archon had thrown you through time and away from him-"

"-I didn't see the Brave's betrayal coming, and lost the Scions-"

"-The traitors were not thy responsibility either-"

"-Ysayle-"

"-The Lady made her choice to save thou-" Midgardsormr continued, abandoning much of the formality as he tore through each of Ruby's points.

"-Haurchefant-"

"-Stepped into the blow of his own free will, for he knew you were strong enough to continue on without him and, more pressingly, were more import-"

"Don't you _DARE_ finish that sentence!" Ruby thundered, clenching her hand as tight as she could.

Midgardsormr, at least, had the decency to apologize, "Of course. That was out of line, and you hath my deepest apologies for it. Let me speak clearly, Ruby. You look at thy failures more than thy success. While thou hath lost those close to you, thou hath saved myriad more you will never meet. Those nameless, faceless woman and children of Ala Mhigo and Doma that thou hath saved will never come to thou in the streets and prostate themse-"

"I don't want them to-"

"I did not say that was thy desire. But if they did, thou would see that thou hast saved them all. The same holds true of the children of Ishgard, Limsa Lomasia, and Ul'dah. If I did not think thee worthy of Hydaelyn's blessing, I would not hath returned it. Our bond was formed so I could witness thy deeds, and I hath found thee worthy."

"Thanks, Midg," Ruby said with a smile, "I guess-"

"The Echo plays havoc with thy senses," Midgardsormr said, "Thou feel as if the Ishgardian passed in front of thou again. I hath bared witness to the Myste the loss and pain of his passing hath wrought. It is not thy fault it shakes thee. Rest and regain thy strength, there will be more in the days to come."

Ruby's smile took on a sad tinge as the dragon faded in Aether, "You stole that from Haurche…"

"He's right, you know," Ruby sat up straight, staring at Lyse, "I wouldn't be surprised if one of these days you get called to Ala Mhigo to kill a Primal version of yourself."

"How long have you been awake for?"

"Around the time you yelled at him and crushed my hand," Lyse said, rolling over to look at Ruby, "I'm sorry for not saying anything, but you sounded like you really needed that conversation."

"Sorry," Ruby said, "I didn't mean to wake you-"

"I wish you would have," Lyse said, "You didn't need an old dragon to tell you that. I could have just as easily. C'mon, let's get some sleep, we'll talk in the morning."


	2. Chapter 2

Alongside this chapter, I released Chapter 1 2.0. Nothing major changed, mostly corrections, clarifications, and a couple of additions now that I ended up making this fic more than a proof of concept.

\- X **Nyx** X-

Nyx stared at the dead Huntress impaled on the Grimm's finger, watching the body slide off and hit the ground with a 'splat!' The Grimm took a step forward, crushing the Huntress under one hooved foot.

Nyx couldn't hide the shriek of fear that came as the Grimm's boney face focused on her, black skin tearing open into a grin. Turning, the young Faunus went to run-

-Only to crash into a man in a black cloak, a red mask in the shape of a fanged skull covered everything above his eyes and a smirk on his face. Nyx did the only thing she could really think of as the Grimm gave a loud clicking.

She ducked behind the man, waiting for him to be ripped away like the other Huntress had been. Instead, the man took a step to the side, revealing the claw frozen mid move, along with the entirety of the Grimm's horse and human sections, "Fascinating… A creature formed of pure Aether by naught but pure hatred… though I suppose that is why you are mindless. You would be useless against _her_. So…"

Nyx couldn't stop the wince as the creature's bones crumpled like a soda can, feeling a spike of empathy as it screamed in pain before the man jerked his head to look at Nyx. Behind him, the Grimm fell in two separate, still twitching pieces.

"Hi?"

"You," the man said, grabbing her by the face and forcing it to the side, running a finger along the scales on her neck, "interesting… you could be of use, I suppose, if I had more of you, but-"

"W-wait!" Nyx said, feeling her spine start to groan as he twisted it further, "I can- I can get you more! My brother! He's a member of the MNWF!"

"The what?" he said, stopping.

"The Mantle White Fang! Please-"

"That-" the man grabbed shifted his hands, grabbing Nyx along her cheekbones as a mark flashing in front of his face-

" _That's right! Part of the HQ guard!" Altair said over the CCT call, a proud smile on his face as he ran a hand through his short black hair, "It's a big job!"_

" _Wow! Do you think I could come visit you someday?"_

 _Altair hesitated, "Maybe? I'd have to ask my bo-"_

" _Hey!" Altair looked away, catching something, "Come on! There's a raid going on!"_

" _Right!" Altair nodded, before looking back at Nyx, "I have to go. Sorry-"_

"-yes, that might very well work out," the man said letting go of Nyx and letting her fall to the ground, "I take it Mantle is nearby?"

"Yes!"

"Then let us depart, Nyx," Pashtarot said.

It would be a long time before Nyx realized they hadn't given their names to each other.

\- X **Lyse** X-

Lyse sat up with a yawn, looking over to the couch Ruby had been on… and rolling her eyes as she saw the Warrior wasn't there. Ruby Rose, incapable of staying still for any amount of-

"OW! _Son of a behemoth_!" Ruby's voice came from the back of the house. Walking outside, Lyse watched Ruby dance in place for a moment, the Warrior of Light clutching her hand with tears in her eyes.

"What did you do this time?" Lyse asked in bemusement.

"I was trying to get my aetherotransformer to work with the aether on Remnant, instead it just burned me!" Ruby said, showing Lyse the inside of her palm, which was covered in blisters.

"I'll get the stuff," Lyse sighed, turning and walking back into the house and into the room with their bag.

"What is it this time?" Y'shtola mumbled into her pillow, still mostly asleep.

"Ruby burned herself," Lyse said, grabbing a potion and a roll of bandages, "I've got it."

Y'shtola gave an inarticulate mumble, rolling over and falling back asleep. Lyse stepped out of the room, throwing an apologetic look at Jaune, "Sorry about that."

"Uhh… What?"

Crap.

Lyse coughed into her hand, subtly masking her reapplying the spell Louisoix had invented when he took Ruby and Thancred in so long ago, "Sorry about Ruby. I take it that's why you're awake?"

"I guess?" Jaune said with a shrug, "I wasn't really sleeping bef-"

They were both cut off by the noise of something backfiring and another tirade of expletive substitutes in Eorzean from outside, "I should probably go deal with that before Ruby loses a finger or something."

"Uh… Yeah," Jaune stepped to the side, letting Lyse past him and back outside.

"Alright-" Lyse stopped as she watched Ruby rolling around on the ground, cradling an arm. Was this how things felt for Papalymo when they were together? "What did you do this time?"

"I got friggin' wildfire on my arm!" Ruby complained, lifting her arm off so Lyse could see her burning sleeve, "I don't even know _how_!"

"Was there any in your transformer?" Lyse asked, pouring the potion over the bandage as she wrapped it around Ruby's arm.

"...Maybe?"

"Well then…" Lyse said, cutting the bandage off and storing away the other, "Will you be fine to fight?"

"Probably not," Ruby groused, "I didn't bring along any one handed weapons except Kanesada, the Chaos Blade and Highway Star."

"Then I guess we're staying until later in the day," Lyse said, standing up, "I'm going to cook breakfast for our hosts, it's the least we can do at this po-"

They both stopped as a cry came from inside the house, before rushing inside. Coming to a stop before the room Y'shtola and Alisaie had been sharing, they watched as Jaune coiled up on the ground at the base of Ruby's greatsword, one hand slit open and blood dripping down the edge.

"What the-?" Ruby muttered, stepping forward and grabbing her sword, "Coulda sworn I sheathed this thing."

"Weird," Lyse muttered, grabbing another potion, pouring it onto the leftover bandage and leaning over to bind Jaune's hand. Both of them fell silent, however, as a familiar crystal rolled out of Jaune's hand.

\- X **Jaune** X-

Jaune watched Lyse disappear outside, sighing as he pressed his head against the wall. That wasn't… that wasn't any language he had heard before.

Jaune's hand hit into the door as his stomach rolled and his sight pitched and swayed. Staggering inside, Jaune's eyes focused on the black-red sword.

 _Come, Childe. Hear._

Jaune's hand wrapped around the sword as the world faded.

 _Jaune's legs coiled, leaping from the rock and impaling a man in armor, drawing the spear from his body and using it to bat away two attacks before slashing open the soldiers' guts with the wing shaped axe blade. Looking up, Jaune watched the meteor shower falling from a red moon hanging over the battlefield for a moment, dread mounting, before he leapt across the field, landing on a mech and impaling the pilot._

 _Jumping into the air again, Jaune twirled, flames coiling around his spear before he thrust it down, an explosion of fire shattering another mech before he gracefully landed on the ground, moving to engage two more soldiers._

 _Or he would have, if all three of them hadn't been blown off their feet by a giant cloud of dust that suddenly covered them. A rock impacted Jaune's helmet, denting it and leaving him to struggle to get it off, with a call of "Cid? What was that? Cid?"_

 _Jaune looked up, following the giant pillar that had appeared up until his eyes locked onto the moon, blue cracks running along it and-_

 _Jaune threw up an arm as the moon shattered and the night turned to day, flinching away from the light and heat. High in the sky, a ball of flames had replaced its lunar counterpart._

 _A roar echoed from above him and the small sun exploded outward, a winged reptile flying down and the flames forming into a thousand separate trails following it. The axe-spear in Jaune's hand slipped from it as his mouth went dry, legs frozen as the military base in the distance was swallowed by the flames._

 _Jaune had enough time to reflexively tense his legs as the monster flew towards them, a single ball of fire branching off… and crashing into a crystal barrier that formed around them at the last second._

 _Jaune turned, eyes locking onto the elderly man holding a staff up, "Louisoix! Thank Hydae-!"_

 _Jaune was cut off as the barrier shattered. Louisoix took a staggering step forward as the barrier slowly reformed, before it shattered again, the lizard hovering about them._

" _Well," Jaune muttered, wrenching his weapon out of the ground and watched the blood red energy form around it in the shape of a fanged jaw, "It's for times like this that I became a dragoon…"_

 _Jaune jumped again, sailing above the lizard with his spear behind his back. Plummeting, Jaune twirled his spear, aiming for the dragons head-_

 _-only for it to fly backwards, backhanding Jaune with one clawed hand. Smashing into the rock, he stopped just before Louisoix with a wince, "I think I broke my everything…"_

 _Louisoix didn't answer as twelve pillars of light formed in the distance. As the old man swung his arm up, the light turned into massive crystal pillars that impaled the lizard. A massive array of symbols appearing as the moon reformed around the lizard and-_

 _-the moon shattered again, as did Louisoix's staff. Louisoix looked up at the lizard gathering another ball of flames, then back down at Jaune, "Ruby…"_

" _Yeah?" Jaune weased._

" _Live," Louisoix said, swinging a hand forward as a new seal appeared. Jaune felt the heat wash over him as he faded away, and had enough time to see Louisoix smile before the light covered him._

 _Jaune smashed into the ground, wincing and struggling to stand before a pair of hands stopped him, "Careful, there, beautiful, that looked like a nasty fall!"_

" _Shut up, Thancred," Jaune croaked._

" _Do we… know each other?" the white haired man asked._

" _Thancred, that isn't funny," Jaune muttered, "What are you even doing here? Louisoix sent you to- oh gods…"_

" _Sorry?"_

" _Louisoix," Jaune muttered, tears welling up as it dawned on him, "I'm sorry, Thancred, Louisoix is… he's gone."_

" _You're… acting awfully strange," Thancred said, slowly, "Louisoix has been dead for five years no-"_

" _WHAT?"_

Jaune's eyes flickered open, staring at the ceiling of his room, "What the- was that a dream?"

"Was what a dream?" Aurora asked from the doorway of Jaune's room, before yelling, "Mom! Jaune's awake!"

"What happened?"

"Nobody knows," Aurora said, "Those huntress found you in their room, mighty creepy by the way, bro, and you slept for the last few days. I was betting one of them clocked you so hard you got brain damage, personally, considering how fast they wanted to get out of here."

"How long was I out?" Jaune asked.

"About three days," Aurora said, "Scared the crap out of-"

"Jaune!" Aurora grunted as their mom knocked her aside, "Do you know how worried we were?"

"This feels really familiar," Jaune muttered.

\- X **Nyx** X-

Nyx took the offered sword, staring down at the black blade, "Wha-?"

"I refuse to have an assistant who is incapable of fighting," Pashtarot said, lifting up a pair of daggers with wavy blades, "Now, defend yourself!"

"What's-?" Nyx let out a small shriek as the man rushed towards her, dodging back from the attack.

"Good!" he said, swinging for her again. Nyx dodged a few more swings before she tipped, the sword slipping from her hand as she fell backwards.

The sword landed between her legs, the handle sinking into snow as Pashtarot continued to move towards her. Thinking quickly, Nyx did the only thing that made sense.

She kicked out, knocking the snow out from under Pashtarot. The man's eyes widened under his mask as his leg twisted, sending him falling over Nyx's head and into a one of the trees behind them.

Oh Dust, she had killed him…

She had _killed_ her one chance at making it to Mantle alive…

She was gonna die out here, eaten by Grimm, wasn't she?

Nyx felt her eyes well up with tears, a shiver of fear rising up as she reached down to draw the sword from the snow. Maybe she could find survive long enough to-?

Nyx yelled in shock as she turned around to see Pashtarot stand back up, cracking his neck. The red mask on his face cracked and fell off in two separate pieces as his mark appeared in front of his face. He grunted, reaching into his cloak and pulling out an identical one and putting it on as he pulled his hood over his light blue hair.

"Well done," he said once he was done, "Using the environment against me, I hadn't expected that from a beginner."

"Um… thanks?" she said.

"You might be of use to me yet," he said, "Tell me… do you have a favorite story?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I'm curious," he said with a smirk, "What's your favorite story… and who's your favorite character?"

"Um… I like the Story of the Seasons and… probably the Summer Maiden?"

"That's good to hear," Pashtarot's smirk got worse, like he had lost his mind, "Very good to hear…"

\- X **Ruby** X-

Ruby climbed onto the train, keeping her head down as she found the compartments the quartet of Eorzean heroes had booked upon arriving in the city a week before.

And discovered that, to Ruby's shock and embarrassment, that they had been journeyed in the complete opposite direction of Vale. Luckily, Ruby's skills from her time with the Rogue's Guild hadn't atrophied _too_ much over the years (helped, no doubt, by her time working with one Godbert Manderville of the Manderville Gold Saucer), and she had quickly found several young men and woman with too much money and not enough sense to notice the loss, alongside several fences willing to buy their gil.

"We're on the second floor," Ruby said, walking up and hating how naked she felt without a weapon.

"Double storied trains," Alisaie said, "What will they think of next?"

"I remember going on a trip on one of these when I was a kid," Ruby said, closing her eyes with a sigh, "Uncle Qrow had some business in one of Albion mountains during summer vacation so we all went camping."

"I thought you didn't like camping?" Lyse asked.

"I don't like it _now_ ," Ruby stressed, "sleeping outdoors kinda loses its luster after you do it for months at a time."

"There are people in Gridania that might disagree with you there," Y'shtola said.

"Yeah, well how about we ask the Ul'dah refugees how they like it?" Ruby shot back.

"Fair enough," Y'shtola said with a small smile as Ruby pulled open the door to their compartment, "By the way, I've been meaning to ask, have you been sleeping well? You seem… worn out."

Ruby tensed, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just been a bit worried about all this. You and Alisaie's room is across from ours, by the way."

"Of course, I-"

"Hey, Ruby," Lyse butted in, "Didn't you say there's some place to eat on this train?"

"Yeah," Ruby started, "but didn't you-?"

"I wanna check it out anyways, breakfast was _hours_ ago" Lyse said, "Alisaie, Y'shtola?"

"I'm fine with it," Alisaie said, stepping from the opposite compartment.

"I'll come along," Y'shtola said, "Ruby?"

"I'm-" Ruby shook her head, "I'm not hungry. Here's some Lien, I'll see you later."

"See you then," Lyse said with a wave.

Ruby glanced around before reaching into the bag Lyse had been carrying, pulling out a blue gem and examining it.

"You did the right thing," Ruby froze, head moving to the side almost mechanically so she could see the source of the voice sitting on the couch bolted to one wall.

Sitting there, wearing a set of Ishgardian temple knight armor under a black eastern robe, clutching Deathlocke in their right hand, the hilt of Cronus leaning on the other shoulder and Kanesada across their lap, was a copy of Ruby with blood red eyes, "I honestly don't get what she's thinking. That boy wouldn't survive a day."

"Fray," Ruby said, turning to the apparition.

"Ruby," Fray said, mocking her.

"What do you want?"

"You're joking, right?" Fray said, "You have to feel it! Something is coming, the world's shifting!"

"Aetherically?" Ruby asked.

"Is that even a word?" Fray asked in turn, "be ready to sin again."

Ruby blinked and the hallucination was gone, though the weapons remained, "Thanks for nothing, you b-"

Ruby's thoughts were cut off as the train jerked into motion, sending her falling back onto the bed.

\- X **Blake** X

Blake looked up at the commotion, ears twitching towards it. Down the car from them, a blond woman in a ornate red outfit had pinned a man to the wall.

Closing her book, Blake slinked close enough to see what was happening. The man, who was wearing the white uniform of the train line they were traveling on, was clawing at the woman's arm, face turning red. Blake's focus on that faded, however, as she caught sight of the Faunus on the ground behind the woman.

Faunus were only supposed to have one animal trait, that was just a simple fact of their biology. So why did the white haired Faunus have feline ears, eyes and a tail?

"Let-" the man choked out, "Let me go."

"Why?" the woman asked, "so you can assault Y'shtola again?"

"I-" the man spat, before being interrupted by another employee.

"What's going on here?" she said.

"This man," the blond woman said, shaking him bodily, "Refused to serve my friend and attacked her-"

"I pushed the beast ov-" Blake wasn't at an angle where she could see the blonde's face, but given the way the blood drained from the man's face, she didn't need to.

The female employee looked between the two before giving an exhausted sigh, "My apologies, Ma'am, this isn't the first time we've had to discuss this matter but I must request you put down our employee. Mr. Greene, I would like to remind _you_ that the contract you signed specifically forbid you from discriminating against our patrons. If you have a problem with that, I advise you find a job with one of our competitors that _don't_ mind. We specifically adverti-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Greene muttered, "I don't know why we put up with the anim-"

 _There was an unholy crack as the blond woman drove her fist into his skull, sending him tumbling over._

Blake watched the blonde move to hit him, only for the Faunus, Y'shtola, to grab her arm, "Lyse, it's not worth it…"

"...Fine," Lyse said, "C'mon, I'm not hungry anymore-"

"Then why don't you take it to go?" Blake spoke up, feeling a rush of gratitude. It was so rare to see a human so defensive of a Faunus.

"I-" Lyse blinked, "Yeah, sure. Coming Alisaie?"

"Sure," Blake jumped as she turned to the girl around her age sitting in the booth… and clutching a steak knife like she wanted to stab something with it and, following her line of sight, it was the same 'Greene' Lyse had just gotten done roughing up.

Blake helped the trio package up their food, carrying it along. Finally, Y'shtola spoke up, "I need you two to promise me you won't tell Ruby what happened back there."

"What?" Lyse asked, "Why?"

"Because Ruby will find a way to stop this train and just leave," Y'shtola said, "It doesn't matter how much she wants to see Yang again, if she finds out someone treated any of us badly… I think she would just turn around and go home."

"That does sound about right," Alisaie, who Blake couldn't help notice looked startlingly Schnee-ish, agreed, "She's sick of us being treated less than ideally, I think."

"And I'd ask you to do the same…?"

"Oh! Blake," Blake said, holding out her hand, "Blake Belladonna."

"Y'shtola Rhul," Y'shtola said, "and these Lyse Hext and Alisaie Leveilleur."

"It's nice to meet you," Blake said, biting her tongue before the words _it's nice to meet humans who actually care_ slipped out and closing one eye against the headache forming, "If you don't mind me asking, how do you have more than one trait? I've never heard of that before."

"It's a very rare mutation," Y'shtola said, "I'm fairly certain there's only a handful of us alive. Now, I believe this is where we part ways, because-"

"ARHGA!" Everyone jumped at the scream from the compartment they were standing next to. Blake carefully opened it, looking inside. Rolling around on the floor, clutching her head, was a woman in a red and black haori, "Fragin'!"

"What did you do this time?" Lyse asked.

"I don't know!" the woman complained, "I have a headache from the seventh hell!"

"Which leads you to rolling around on the floor?" Alisaie asked.

"...Shut up!" the woman barked after a moment of silence, a blush on her face.

"As I was saying," Y'shtola said, "This is where we part ways for now, Blake especially since we need to deal with our illustrious leader."

"Yeah," Blake nodded, "I'll see you around?"

"Well, we are stuck on the same train," Alisaie said, "So unless I lock myself in my room to read for the next fortnight, I expect we'll see each other."

"Good point," Blake said, retreating down the stairs, wincing as her headache got worse.

 _Just Think of the chances, Childe._

\- X **Blake X** -

 _Blake leaned against the wall with a scowl, "I hate these things."_

" _Somethings never change, then?" a handsome man with white hair and a tattoo on his neck said, smirking._

" _Shut up," Blake muttered without any heat, "I never thought there'd be a day where I would_ _ **wish**_ _for a Primal attack."_

" _Announcing!"_

" _Alright you two," Blake looked down, focusing on a child(?) wearing a monocle and cloak with the same tattoos, "that's enough."_

" _The Scions of the Seventh Dawn, formerly the Circle of Knowing and Path of the Twelve! Minfilia Warde!"_

 _A woman with blond hair in braids, a pink and white top that left her midriff exposed and a half skirt threw a smile back at them before disappearing through the doors._

" _Papalymo Totolymo!"_

 _The child disappeared through the door._

" _Yda Hext!"_

 _Hext? Wasn't that-? Blake watched the woman wearing a white jacket and a visor leave the room._

" _Y'shtola Rhul!"_

 _The woman who stepped away from them and through the doors certainly looked like Y'shtola, though with green eyes and wearing different clothes._

" _Thancred Waters!"_

" _Any chance I could slip out now?" Blake muttered._

" _Only if you want to start a manhunt through Ul'dah," the man who had to be Thancred said before he left her alone._

" _And finally," the crier started, "the Warrior of Light and Chosen of Hydaelyn Herself, Ruby Rose!"_

 _Blake wanted to turn her head to search for this 'Ruby', only to instead grab a pair of connected swords leaning next to her with a twirl and step into the room._

 _At the center of the wide room was a table already set for people to eat at, men and women were standing around the room, goblets in hand as they spoke. A man in burgundy armor immediately approached them, "Lady Rose?"_

" _Please don't call me that," Blake sighed._

" _Ah… Yes, Ma'am. Sultana Ul Namo would like to speak to you."_

" _Lead the way," Blake said with another sigh, following him up to a room off to the side. Standing inside was another… little girl? Whatever the hell Papalymo was, sitting at a table._

" _Milady," the guard said with a bow, "I brought the Warrior of Light, as you requested."_

" _Thank you," the Sultana said, "You may go. Lady Rose, if would-"_

" _If you don't mind, Sultana," Blake interjected, "Would you just call me Ruby?"_

 _The Sultana laughed, "Only if you would call me Nanamo. Would you come sit with me? I wish to share a drink with you and discuss a… rather private matter."_

" _Sure," Blake said, moving over to sit across from Nanamo as a veiled woman poured the last of one bottle into the goblet in front of the the Sultana and poured another into Blake's._

" _You may go," the Sultana said, "Ruby, I-"_

" _Nanamo," Blake interjected, "I'm not one for formalities or politics, if you have something to ask me, just ask."_

" _I see why Raubahn likes you," Nanamo said with a laugh and a cough, taking a sip from the goblet in front of her, "To answer your question, I would like to ask your assistance in a matter."_

" _Which is?" Blake asked._

" _I plan to… I plan to dissolve the Syndicate," Nanamo said, "Up to and including the Sultanate. They try to keep me from learning how corrupt Ul'dah has gotten under them, but I'm not blind, and I refuse to let my people suffer at the hands of the few. Tomorrow, I will be announcing that the Immortal Flames will be taking over leadership until such a time the complete dismantling of the Syndicate can happen. I would like to request that you help Raubahn during this time."_

" _Sure," Ruby said with a nod._

" _That's- that's-" Nanamo stopped talking, goblet slipping from her fingers as she fell to the side, convulsing._

 _The door slammed open, yet another of the strange child-folk with a mustache walked in with a set of guards and giving an exaggerated gasp, "Milady! You- You murderer her! Guards, arrest the Kingslayer!"_

" _I didn't-!" Blake started._

" _Don't deny it! You're the only one in here, and there's only one entrance! The Flame General will see you hange-"_

" _Unless the gods damned you with a fraction of a brain," Blake's mind froze at how chilly her voice had become as rage coursing through her, her blade splitting in two and blood red energy rising off them, "You know who I am. I'll come with you to Raubahn, but if you think I'm going to give up my weapon... well, let's just say there will be several corpses in this room I WAS the cause of."_

" _Really? You think you can defeat the Brass Blades?" the man taunted, "the greatest warriors of Ul'dah?"_

" _I've killed gods," Blake said, "Titan, Ifrit,_ _ **Bahamut**_ _. Come, try to defeat me, I'll gladly walk out of here to talk to Raubahn without you."_

" _Uh… Of course," he said, "There's no need to be unreasonable. Come along…"_

" _Good," Blake said, lowering her swords as walking forward._

 _Only for something to strike her in the back of the head as she stepped passed the first Brass Blade and darkness to overtake her._

 _\- X_ _ **Blake**_ _X -_

 _When Blake came to, the was when she was thrown to the floor, a gag in her mouth. The moment she was able, Blake began to struggle against the ropes as an explosion of noise happened above her._

" _You're lying!"_

" _Why would I?" Blake shot a glare at the small pair of legs in front of her, "Was it not the Scions who convinced the Sultana to host this party? And then the a member of your order was found in the Sultana's room, with the very vial of poison in her pock- Ah, she's awake!"_

" _Good," a deep female voice said, "Then we can ask her. Remove the gag."_

" _Lady Merlwyb," the man said, "There's no need for that, it's an open and shut ca-"_

" _Says you," Merlwyb said, "but allow me to be blunt, you're accusing the godsdamned Warrior of Light for regicide with nothing but evidence that is either easily faked or coincidental at best, with a terrorist as your witness. I refuse to have this be a damn manticore court, you_ _ **will**_ _remove that gag."_

 _Blake struck her hands against the ground, trying to get their attention as another, calmer female voice spoke up, "I quite agree_ _ **and**_ _it would appear that Lady Rose is trying to get our attention. If you are so convinced she is guilty, what is the harm in allowing the convicted the ability to speak in her defense?"_

" _I agree as well," a man rumbled, "Unless you have something to hide, you have nothing to worry about. Let Ruby speak."_

" _Oh, fine," the man nodded to one of the guards, who grabbed Blake by the hair and pulled her to her feet, ripping the gag from her mouth, "Well? What do you have to say for yourself, assassin?"_

" _Do you normally burst into the Sultana's private quarters unannounced and accompanied by guards?" Blake asked, smirking as the man's face went pale._

" _I- I don't know what-"_

" _I mean," Blake continued, "You said it yourself didn't you? The room only has-"_

" _Silence her, you fo-"_

" _-One entrance, so why did you do that just as the Sultana died?"_

" _I- I got wind of your plot, and moved to-"_

" _Then why did you bring the Brass Blades?" Blake asked, "and not the Sultansworn?"_

 _You could hear a penny drop as everyone considered Blake's words, eyes locking on the guards standing around them._

" _You," a giant of a man with a bull head pauldron growled, "You had her killed didn't you, you black hearted bastard?"_

" _Heh," the little monster scoffed, "I did no such thing, though I suppose that, given how unwilling a puppet she was, it was only a matter of time before someone decided to cut her stri-"_

 _Blake felt a rush of adrenaline as the man drew his swords and rushed forward until they were crossed in front of her accuser, "You would mock her? Then you can do it from_ _ **hell**_ _!"_

 _The blades finished their path, blood and entrails flying as Blake's accuser fell in two separate parts. The man holding Blake's hair smirked as he threw her aside, gaining a look that remained her of Adam as he drew his own sword._

" _General!" yet another of the child folk called from the side, "Have you lost your mind? You know it's forbidden to draw weapons it this part of the palace-"_

 _Blake heard Merlwyb scoff, "Who does he think he's fooling?"_

" _You," the General growled, "You would betray her? Your own niece? Then you can die as well, you bastard-!"_

 _Blake watched as the Adam-man moved to intercept the charging General, cleaving his left arm off in a shower of blood._

" _Raubahn!" a woman in a white mink dress gasped._

" _Seven hells!" Merlwyb barked, drawing a pair of flintlocks._

" _Admiral!" a man in blood red armor said, clutching an axe, "We have to go, now!"_

" _I-" Merlwyb growled, "I shall not leave a resident of Limsa Lomasia to hang for a crime she didn't-"_

" _Merl," Blake called, "Go, we'll be fine! If you cause an international incident, it'll just cause everyone else more problems!'_

" _Godsdamn me to the seventh hell for this," Merlwyb spat, "Fine! We're leaving!"_

" _Ilberd," Raubahn growled, "I hope you choke on their coin you traitor!"_

" _Traitor?" Illberd said, "I'm the traitor, old friend? You're the one who found a puppet queen to serve while_ _ **I**_ _fought to free Ala Mhigo! You betrayed_ _ **us**_ _!"_

" _Is that why you went through with this? Why you killed an innocent girl?" Raubahn asked._

" _I suppose so, yes," Ilberd said with a smirk, "if you aren't with us, old friend, then you are against us. She made you soft, the ene-"_

 _Blake wanted to gasp. How many times had she heard Adam say things similar to that about anyone who disagreed?_

" _You die," Raubahn roared, grabbing his sword, "no-!"_

" _Sloppy!" Ilberd taunted, kicking Raubahn over Blake's head._

 _Raubahn gave an inarticulate growl, swinging his sword down._

 _And taking Blake's bindings with them._

 _Blake jumped, grabbing the guard holding her swords by the head and violently twisting it. Grabbing her swords, Blake swung them down to finish off the guard and split them apart, preparing to attack Ilberd, only to find Raubahn's arm in front of her, "Wha-?"_

" _You need to go!'" Raubahn said, "I'll hold him here, find a way to clear your names,_ _ **GO**_ _!"_

 _Blake looked at Ilberd before turning with a growl, "Come on, we need to go!"_

" _You think-!" the guard was silenced as Blake slashed through his throat, guiding the Scions through the halls while Raubahn met with Ilberd again._

 _Snapping her swords back together, Blake lunged forward, impaling one of the two remaining guards before snapping them apart again to do the same to the other guard, "See how easy it is when you're not able to jump me?"_

\- X **Blake** X-

Blake sat up, stopping a startled yell. Looking over to where Adam was still sleeping, she quickly scrambled out of bed, leaving the compartment behind with an exhausted panting.

What was that? That was- _what was it_?

Blake staggered further down the train, stomach rolling.

 _Sloppy_! Ilberd's taunt rang through her head, the smirk still plastered on his face as he gestured with his curved blade, his white hair pulled into a bun.

How many times had she seen that look on Adam's face before a combat mission… hadn't he had it just before they got on the train?

Blake choked down bile as Nanamo's horrified face flashed across her vision. The goblet falling from the doll-like girl's hand and spilling the red wine across the stone floor as she collapsed like a puppet that-

 _cut her stri-_

Blake shook her head wildly. It was just a dream, just a dream…

So why was it so real? She could taste the echo of her own wine, smell the food wafting from the table.

Hear the squelch as Raubahn's swords cleaved through flesh. See the light flee the guard's eyes as she ran him through.

 _Blake leaned on the edge of a boat, eyes focused ahead as another child-folk and a teenaged boy with white hair and clutching a broken staff climbed on. In the distance, a broken building crumbled, flames rising from the remains._

" _Pray tell, where are we going?" the boy asked, "Limsa Lomasia and Grendira can't possibly take us without causing a war, and Ul'dah is-"_

" _Ishgard," Blake's, no,_ _ **Ruby's**_ _voice was cracked, "Camp Dragonhead. Haurche will help us."_

" _Twelve save me," the boy muttered, "Are you certain he will? I don't want to go to that frozen hell just to be turned awa-"_

" _Haurche will help us," Blake repeated._

" _You heard the woman!" a bearded man at the ship's helm called down to another child-folk with black and red hair and a giant man, "We have our heading!"_

 _Blake didn't flinch as the ship tilted upward, flying into the sky. In the distance, a city spread out into the desert-_

"Told ya," Blake tensed as Ruby's voice came from above where she was kneeling, "Go get some hot chocolate."

"Are you sure the dining car is even open at this time?" Lyse asked.

"Should be, they pick up people all through the night," Blake's head shot up as a callused hand wrapped around her upper arm. Ruby gave a calming tut, "Hey, heyheyhey. It's alright, c'mon, we're just gonna get you out of the hall."

Blake staggered up, letting Ruby bring her into the compartment… and promptly rushed into the tiny bathroom, hot bile spilling over as Ruby dully pulled Blake's hair back.

"Yeah," Ruby said, like a stranger throwing up like this was an everyday occurrence to her, "That's about how it was for me at the start too. It gets easier, if it makes you feel better. Lyse is grabbing some hot chocolate, that's what I like to do if the Echo is getting the better of me."

Blake didn't answer for a minute, content to continue unleashing the yellowish contents of her stomach into the toilet. Finally, she looked up at Ruby, "This is… you know what that is?"

"Yeah," Ruby said, "So, what did ya see? Not something pleasant, obviously."

"I saw, I was-"

"Oh," Ruby winced, "It's always the worst when you see it from someone else point of view. Louisoix and Papalymo thought it was because your head could tell something was different. Different heights, vision, senses- uh, nevermind, carry on."

"I was- I was _you_."

"Oh," Ruby casual expression faded, "Yeah."

"I didn't want to-!"

"I didn't say you did," Ruby shrugged, "I've had the Echo for, oh, must be, twenty… twenty three years, not counting that five year chunk?" Blake got the feeling Ruby was thinking aloud at that point, "Somewhere in that range. Point is, I've had the Echo longer than you've been alive, and I still don't have full control over it. But I'm also aware not much of what you could have seen is particularly fun to be stuck in the backseat for. So, what _did_ you see? Since you didn't get to follow my thoughts, or even just the lead up or anything after, I feel like I should give you a bit of insight."

"It was- you had just been framed for regicide… you were framed, right?"

"Do I really look so thuggish that people will just believe I'm willing to assassinate someone? Which charge?"

Blake's mind ground to a halt. Which charge? _Which charge_? That implied, "That's happened more than once?"

"Well," Ruby said, "thinking about things, I'm pretty sure regicide was only thrown around when that bastard Lolorito faked Nanamo's… the other was… weird question, do you know if there's a term for killing a archbish- you know what, they were a Primal at the time so I'm going with deicide."

Blake couldn't stop gaping at Ruby, brain stuck in a recurring loop of attempting to figure out what Ruby had just said and giving up shortly after. Finally, Blake grabbed hold of the one part her brain didn't need context for, relief flooding her, "Nanamo survived?"

"More like she wasn't in trouble to begin with," Ruby said, "How much did you see?"

"You had just left Raubahn and Ilberd," Blake offered.

"He's fine too, by the way," Ruby said, "Er… Raubahn, that is. Ilberd's dead."

"That's… good?" Blake asked, not sure if she was supposed to be happy at the death of a man she had never met, and ignoring the slight amount that _did_ rise up.

"I should have gutted him there," Ruby said, voice dropping, "woulda saved so many people so much pain if I just had…"

"Ignore her," Blake jumped as a styrofoam cup as pushed into her hands by Lyse, "She's looking for a way to dodge the awkward questions bit."

Ruby took her own cup as she scrunched up her nose and stuck her tongue out at the blond woman, "back on topic, it turns out that Lolorito, uh, the lalafell… errr… the small git with a mask, replaced the poison with something to knock her way, _way_ out. It's what I call a win-win-bludgeon scenario."

"You have _never_ called it that before," Lyse said.

"He wins because he gets to consolidate his power base," Ruby continued, "Nanamo wins because she doesn't die, and I'm left wanting to bludgeon him with a rusty mace."

Blake took a sip of the hot chocolate, feeling the warmth travel through her body and purge the chill that seemed to be filling her veins. Looking up, she gave a weak smile at Ruby, "You were right, this does help."

"Duh," Ruby said, rolling her eyes, "Anyways, Raubahn is fine, Nanamo's alive and Ilberd killed himself.

"But… where was it? I've never heard of any of those places," Blake asked.

"It's… you know what?" Ruby said, "it's easier to show you."

"Wha-" Blake leaned back as Ruby leaned forwards, "What are you-"

"Don't worry," Ruby said, "It's nothing dangerous. You can trust me-"

"I don't think anyone's ever been calmed by that," Blake said, breathing in, "Ok."

"Ok," Ruby gripped Blake's face, a blue glyph appearing in her eyes as everything faded, "Hear. Feel. Think."

\- X **Ruby** X-

Ruby's feet touched down onto the familiar glyph, her eyes scanning the crystals sitting at six points before she turned to find her Faunus companion, "So, uh… I just realized I never got your na- hey, where are you?"

Ruby looked around the glyph, frowning as she didn't see teen. Finally, a calm voice came from behind her, sending Ruby twirling with a hiss, "Blake will be along shortly, Ruby."

"Don't _do_ that!" Ruby said, glaring at the mountain sized crystal.

"My deepest apologies," Hydaelyn said.

"So, what do You want?" Ruby asked, ignoring Fray's snickering in the back of her head, "Come to take me to task about what's-his-name?"

"Jaune," Hydaelyn said, "Not particularly. I am aware of your faults, Ruby. If you believe you could protect that boy by, how would your nerves put it? Serve, Save, Slave and Slay? You would do it in a heartbeat."

"Can you blame me?" Ruby said, "he's a kid-"

"He is very nearly twice the age you were when I asked you to take up the role of My champion."

"So?" Ruby asked, "Unukalhai wasn't ready."

"I know," Hydaelyn pulsed, a wave of pure sadness rushing over Ruby.

Ruby sat on the glyph with a sad sigh, "So, what _do_ You want to talk about?"

"It isn't anything against you," Hydaelyn said.

"What?"

"The new Echo users," Hydaelyn clarified, "it isn't because I don't trust you, or see you as a failure."

Ruby gave the Mothercrystal a blank look, "Uh… what?"

"Your conversation with Midgardsormr?" Hydaelyn offered.

"I had that conversation before I found out about Jaune," Ruby said.

"But I'm sure that Me bestowing a crystal to him didn't help those feelings," Hydaelyn said.

"...Maybe a little," Ruby admitted reluctantly.

"Then, and allow Me to return to the formal for a moment," Hydaelyn started, "Of the many Children I have, I am not prouder of a single one more than thou. Not once have I regretted choosing you to be My Champion, Ruby Rose. Not once have I felt you failed in thy task. Even as you twist the power of Mine Adversary to protect those you love, I fear not that you will be swallowed. In the entirety of our relationship, the one regret I hold is Mine and Mine alone, not thine."

"Really?" Ruby asked.

"Indeed," Hydaelyn said, "Mine one regret is that you feel as if you need to stand as My bulwark against the Darkness alone."

"I don't-"

"'Woe betide the man who stands opposed to the Weapon of Light,''' Hydaelyn started, voice as dry as it ever got, "'for death will be his reward. Death for him and his kin and all he holds dear. Woe betide the man who stands with the Weapon of Light, for death will be his reward. Death for him and his kin and all he holds dear.''

"Ok," Ruby felt her face flush as Hydaelyn quoted Myste at her, "Maybe I-"

"'Like sands through the hourglass, everything we fight so desperately to protect slips through our fingers...and what remains...Is us. Only us, and the memory of our sin,'" Hydaelyn continued.

"Ok, ok!" Ruby said, burying her face in her hands, "so may-"

"'To walk this path is to suf-'"

"Fine," Ruby threw up her hands, "fine, You win! I have a problem with working with others. Happy, _mom_?"

"Exorbitantly," Hydaelyn said, voice still dry.

"Then why did You give it to them?" Ruby finally asked.

"Because I don't wish to see you dead," Hydaelyn said, "and while combating the Adversary in Ezorea is simple of you, trying to deal with their threats on two worlds will drive you into the ground."

Ruby hissed, "the Ascians are on Remnant?"

"Yes," Hydaelyn said, "but even if they weren't, I would still have considered it. The Children on Hydaelyn are few in number. Now, quiet down, I have a guest to speak too."

"Fine," Ruby said as Blake landed with significantly less grace.

"Wha-?"

"Hello, Blake," Hydaelyn started, "I am Hydaelyn, the All Made One… and I would like offer thou a pact."

\- X **AN** X-

Thoughts? Good? Bad? Meh?


	3. Chapter 3

Blake landed on the glyph, legs akimbo and eyes racking around the-

That was a big crystal.

""Hello, Blake," the mountain crystal pulsed with the words, "I am Hydaelyn, the All Made One… and I would like to offer thou a pact."

"Hi?" Blake asked, taking a step back, before her mind registered the second half, "What do you mean, a pact?"

"A covenant, a pact. Thou art a smart girl, Blake, thou know what these words mean."

"You know," Ruby drawled from her place on the 'floor', eyes still reflecting the glyph they were on, "That sound pretty friggin' patronizing."

"Let it," Hydaelyn said, "I did not pick her for nothing, I did it for her knowledge. If she wishes to play the fool, I will pick again."

"Ignore her," Ruby said, "She's trying to get under your skin."

"I wish to see how she acts," Hydaelyn said, "She works with the unsavory wielding an aegis of righteousness, I must see that she holds it for reasons true, not as justification for distasteful acts."

"The White Fang-!" Blake started to blurt out, only to immediately slap her hand across her mouth, glancing back at Ruby, who was staring back blankly.

"They were birthed of good intentions," Hydaelyn said, "but many were, only to go astray. Doth thou think that Ilberd was born as heartless as thou saw him? He was not, he was a man broken until all that remained was a desire for vengeance against the world that he felt wronged him so. Dost thou know someone of similar measure? Me thinkest thou do."

"Adam isn't-"

"And why isn't he? Answer me and I shall abandon the question. Ilberd was a revolutionary who asked the Scions for help, which they didn't for reasons understandable-"

"That we really didn't need to get into a war?" Ruby snarked, "Only for him to drag us into it anyways?"

"-so he turned to the Monetarists, who manipulated him for their own ends. By the end of his life, all that remained was crying in the dark against the world he felt had forsaken him."

"He also a traitorous dog," Ruby said, spitting over the side of the glyph, and giving a bewildered jump as the loogie fell from above them and splat on her head, "Eeeewww!"

"Don't spit," Hydaelyn said, "You never know who is below you."

"It's a friggin' void!" Ruby yelled, "It woulda fallen forever! For-ev-er!"

"And what makes you think I want a bit of spit in my home forever?"

"It's a void! You would never see it again!

"Does it being a void mean I'm not allowed to be discontent with knowing something as dirty as spit is in it?"

"You could have just vaporized it!" Ruby snapped, crossing her arms.

"Don't worry about her," Hydaelyn said, "She is irate from a conversation we had before you arrived."

"What? But I-"

"This is My domain. Manipulating time so thou arrived after Ruby but also immediately after thou entered is beyond easy. Now, thou hath not answered my question."

"Adam's… he's fighting for Faunus to have equal rights-"

"Is that true, or only what you and he tell thyself? The problem with using violent means for peaceful ends, Blake, is that many will look at the means themselves as your ends. Where does equal rights end and domination begin?"

"Equal rights end when we're equals-" Blake's dry remark was cut off by Hydaelyn.

"-to whom?" Hydaelyn asked, "Dost thou thinkest all humans are equal? That the man starving on the street stands equal to a Schnee, or they to a member of the Syndicate?"

"Of course!" Blake snapped, "Your place in life doesn't-"

"And dost thou believe Adam thinks the same? That all Faunus think the same?"

Blake opened her mouth, but found her throat tight as Ilberd's smirk flashed across his face as he punted Raubahn across the room, followed shortly by the same sort of smirk on Adam's face, "I- of course not-"

"There is a hard to discern line between someone who dons an armor of shadows for good intentions, and one who dons an armor of good intention for shadowy ones. We both know which thou art… but only one of us knows which one Adam is."

"And you think you do?" Blake asked.

"Thou don't?" Hydaelyn asked in turn.

"Adam… he wants to protect Faunus-" Blake said weakly.

"Tell Me," Hydaelyn said, "why doest thou think Adam has 'accidents' any time he doesn't bring thou on a combat mission? Why doest thou think he doesn't when he _does_? Would you like to see?

"That's-" Blake's stomach dropped, "Why should I trust you, you could fake it."

"I could," Hydaelyn said, "Which is why I took the liberty of showing thou My personal champion brought nearly as low as she'd ever been."

Blake looked back at Ruby, who was running her hands through her hair, apparently determined to remove the spit from it. That was…

"Fine," Blake said.

 _Blake pushed off the wall, stepping towards the black haired woman clutching a chain, "What's our goal?"_

" _Dust," she said distastefully, "the Mantle branch is asking for a lot suddenly…"_

" _Want me to pay them a visit?" Blake asked, thumb running along the pommel of her sword._

" _Not yet," the woman said, climbing into the back of the truck, "We'll supply them for now."_

" _So, what's our target?" Blake asked._

" _There's an SDC subsidiary a mile out. Shouldn't be more than five minutes the way we're going."_

 _Blake nodded, sitting back in the truck, "Rules of engagement?"_

" _They'll be shooting to kill," the woman said, "Do the same."_

 _Blake felt a spike of vindication, "Perfect…"_

Blake staggered back, arms in front of her, "What- when was-?"

"Recently," Hydaelyn said, "Doth thou want to see more?"

Blake hesitated, feeling like this would be her last chance, "Yes."

 _Blake slashed through two guards, looking around, she carelessly shot a guard engaged in melee with the woman. Glancing down at one guard clawing at her boot, Blake aimed down and fired._

Blake felt her stomach roll, "He… I…"

"We all have someone we respect who turns out to be a lying scumbag," Ruby said from her spot, "might n- MPHM!"

"You're not helping," Hydaelyn said dryly as Ruby clawed at her lips, "You can talk once Blake and I are done. I'm sorry, Blake, I know it's not easy to have your perception of someone crushed."

"It's-" Blake said, voice wavering, "it's-"

"It's not fine," Hydaelyn said, "I know, Blake. Rage at Me, if you wish."

"You didn't do anything wrong," Blake said, blinking back tears.

"I revealed it to thou," Hydaelyn said, "and sometimes, nothing feels more wrong than that simple act."

Blake's head slowly bowed, sobs starting. Dust.

Adam was…

 _Dust_.

"What do you want?" Blake asked, stomach rolling again.

"I need someone who knows this world's history," Hydaelyn said, "someone who can fight and will do so for the right reasons."

"And you think that's who I am?" Blake asked.

"That was never in any doubt," Hydaelyn said.

"I-" Blake felt herself start to break down, "I'm-"

"It's alright," Hydaelyn said, "No members of the Scions cares. Of your race or your affiliation. You're amongst friends. Take care of her."

Blake felt Ruby's hand on her shoulder, the woman nodding as the Glyph in her eyes, and under their feet, winked out and they plummeted away from the mountain of crystal before smashing to a halt back on the train…

And Blake broke down entirely.

\- X **Ruby** X-

Ruby quietly stood outside of the door of her and Lyse's room, arms crossed as she could hear Lyse and (strangely) Alisaie comfort the girl. Ruby didn't blame her, she knew all too well what it was like to be forced to confront something.

Especially, Ruby thought as she stared into the reflective surface of Y'shtola and Alisaie's room, a pair of hallucinatory mismatched eyes staring back, one fiery red and the other mournful blue, when it was about yourself.

Awkwardly shifting, Ruby lifted her hand to her linkpearl as it went off, "Hello?"

"Ruby!" the voice of Rielle came through in a halfstate between in Ruby's head and her ear.

"Hey!" Ruby said as cheerfully as she could with a teen crying behind her and a maybe-Iberd stalking around the train, "What's up? How's Sid treating you?"

"He's… being Sid."

"So grousing about taking care of you while also launching into a murderous rampage at anything that looks at you funny?"

"He's currently grousing about you not being home-" Rielle said.

Oh.

"You're at my house?" Ruby almost wanted to ask _which_ before her brain whispered traitorously that Sid didn't know she has more than one and that if he found out, there would be nothing she could do to keep the Au Ra from appropriating one for his and Rielle's use. As Sid was about as good with people as Bahamut, Ruby was pretty sure she would inevitably lose the house.

"Sid has a job he wanted help on. A corrupt Knight has been lurking around the Brume."

"I can't help," Ruby said, knowing that was likely to send Sidurgu into an apoplectic fit, "I'm not anywhere nearby."

"Ok," Rielle said, "I'll tell him."

Ruby patiently waited, wondering not for the first time if it was worth leaving the blue haired Elezen to relay messages to not have to risk Sid calling her at random hours.

"He says that's fine," Rielle said, followed by something that sent Ruby's stomach plunging, "He also says we're gonna stay here for a few weeks, at least. It's nicer than the Forgotten Knight."

Godsdamn it…

"Ok," Ruby said, the corner of her lips twitching.

"I need to go," Rielle said, "we're going to the market."

Gods. Damn. It.

"Right," Ruby said, "I'm normally pretty low on food since I'm not there much …"

"That's what Sid said," Rielle said, "Love you."

"Love you too, kiddo," Ruby said, letting go of the earring and therefore severing the connection. Looking back, Ruby slid down against the door with a sigh.

She shoulda grabbed a book before she stepped out. Guard duty, and that's what this was, was boring.

Ruby watched a red haired Faunus stalk by her, meeting his eyes without flinching. Watching him go, Ruby was reminded of the look in Ysayle's eyes when they met… the look in Ilberd's eyes at the end.

Ruby grunted as her linkpearl went off, "What?"

"Is everything alright?" Y'shtola asked, "You sound irate…"

"Fine," Ruby said, "What's up?"

"I wanted you to inquire to the girls in your room if they wanted me to bring something to eat," Y'shtola said, "The day is-"

"Y'shtola?" Ruby asked.

"Nothing," Y'shtola said, "Don't worry yourself."

"That's making me worried," Ruby said.

"People are climbing aboard, I was simply distracted. Worry not, my friend."

"Alright, I'll ask them and get back to you," Ruby said, standing. It was probably best to get out of the hall anyways if people were climbing aboard.

Wait…

 _Wait…_

Hydaelyn hadn't explained anything to Blake.

\- X **Ruby** X-

 _Ruby stood in the shadows of the alley, swords clutched in her hand, "Thancred?"_

" _I'm working on it," the white haired boy said, "aaand there we go! After you, milady!"_

" _You just…" Ruby struggled to say, still not used to speaking this language, "You just letting me go first so you can run if I get caught."_

" _Ruby!" Thancred gasped, "How could you imply such a thing about me?"_

 _Ruby smiled at Thancred, handing him her combined swords and climbed into the window, carefully looking around, "Safe."_

" _Good to hear," Thancred said, handing Ruby her swords before he climbed in after her. The boy looked around, slowly creeping towards one of the beds and looking under, "Aha!"_

 _Ruby reached down, grabbing the chest and lifting it onto the bed so Thancred could begin working on it, "What's in it?"_

" _I have no idea!" Thancred said, "Gold? Gems? Something that can see us and the poor under the Uprights happy for a whi- books? Who keeps books in a chest like this?"_

 _Ruby planted a hand on the younger boy's head, carefully lifting one of the two books out of the chest and flipping through it, "It not just a book, it a book on math."_

" _So?" Thancred asked, "I don't understand why you enjoy numbers so much."_

" _You can get lot done with math," Ruby chided her friend… only to freeze as a voice came from behind them._

" _Quite right," before Ruby's eyes, the air shimmered like a curtain falling, revealing an old man and a lalafell standing in front of them, the lalafell gripping a staff, "Tell me, children, why did you break into an old man's inn room? Aren't your parents-?"_

 _Ruby silently weighed the book, before throwing it at the man, splitting her sword apart, "Thancred, out."_

" _What? But?"_

" _OUT!" Ruby barked, doing her best to shield Thancred as the lalafell raised his staff in the barrier the old man had raised… until he planted a hand on the lalafell's head._

" _That's quite enough, Papalymo. I'm not injured and neither are you, there's no need to resort to violence."_

" _Master Louisoix, they-"_

" _-had nothing but the best intentions in entering here, if my hearing hasn't abandoned me yet. You can lower your weapons, young lady, no harm shall befall you or the boy behind you. You have my oath… though, I suppose given our location, that isn't necessarily as empirical as it would be in other locations. A trade, then. Both Papalymo and I will discard our weapons if you and Thancred do the same-"_

" _Master Louisoix!" Papalymo gasped._

" _-is that agreeable to you?"_

 _Ruby stared down Louisoix for a long moment, gauging how much she could trust him before carefully locking her weapons together and throwing them down into the space between them, Thancred's knives joining them and, in rather swift order, Louisoix added his staff to the pile. Finally after a heartbeat longer in which Ruby prepared to cover Thancred with her own body, Papalymo added his staff._

" _Good," Louisoix said with a smile, "I'm glad we were able to some form of compromise. Now, you seemed very interested in this tome."_

" _I like math," Ruby defended._

" _A noble interest," Louisoix said, "but one that raises more questions. You live in one of the foremost cities in the art of Arcanima, the Arcanist guild is taking in new students, why are you here, instead of training that interest?"_

" _I don't speak good Eorzean," Ruby said._

" _Eorzean?" Louisoix asked, "then you are capable of speaking another tongue? Would you be willing to indulge me and speak it?"_

" _Sure," Ruby said in Remnantian, "I'm Ruby Rose, from Remnant. I like cookies and strawberries and miss my sister,_

 _dad and uncle and would love to find out how I ended up here and get back to them with Thancred."_

 _Louisoix raised a hand to his beard, "Interesting, I haven't heard that one before. You seem adept at understanding what I'm saying though."_

" _Hydaelyn did something," Ruby said._

" _Hydaelyn? The mother crystal?" at Ruby's nod, Louisoix smiled, "Fascinating! Now, I take it you two have no stable home?"_

" _Yes."_

" _I see," Louisoix turned to Papalymo, "Would you be so kind as to do me the favor of running down to the dock and asking the captain if he would mind bringing two more passengers to Sharlayan with us? For appropriate compensation, of course."_

" _Master Louisoix, are you certain that's wise? You know how the Senate behaves about outsiders…"_

" _To ignore the plight of those one might conceivably save is not wisdom; it is indolence," Louisoix said, "This lass could become the greatest Arcanist of her generation for all anyone knows, if given training. If the Senate would move to censure me for giving a pair of children the chance at a life beyond crime, then I will gladly leave Sharlayan behind."_

" _We don't want to-" Ruby started._

" _You shan't be any form of weight," Louisoix said, "ever since my son moved out, there's been much too much space in my home… even before he did, it felt that way. I ask, nay_ _ **insist**_ _that you come to learn from me in Sharlayan."_

" _I-" Ruby looked back at Thancred and steeled her heart. A home for Thancred, an education for him. Something beyond the heartless enforcement the the unsavory laws of Limsa Lomasia. Turning, she bowed to Louisoix, "We accept."_

" _That's good to hear," Louisoix said, "My name is Louisoix Leveilleur."_

" _And I'm Ruby Rose," Ruby said with a smile. Behind her, she heard Thancred slide down to the ground and felt her eyes droop._

" _There's no need to worry," Louisoix said, "I just cast a harmless sleeping spell on you. You both look exhausted."_

 _Ruby looked over to Thancred, resisting the spell long enough to carry him to one of the beds and tuck him in before she sank into a wooden chair…_

 _And was promptly lifted up herself, Louisoix whispering something as she drifted through the air and was put to bed next to Thancred. Finally succumbing, Ruby willingly embraced the lure of sleep that had been evading her for two days._

\- X **Ruby** X-

Ruby stood in front of the closed door awkwardly, Blake was looking at her with red rimmed eyes as Lyse and Alisaie gave her looks of pure exasperation, "Uh… when you're ready of course?"

"I'm fine with talking about it now," Blake said, "I have questions."

"Yeah," Ruby said, "That didn't go according to plan at all. Alright, shoot."

"What-" Blake sniffled, grabbing a tissue and blowing her nose, "Sorry, what _is_ the Echo?"

"It's a blessing," Ruby said, "From Hydaelyn."

"What is she?" Blake asked.

"Light," Ruby said, "Creation, The Land. Hydaelyn is a billion-billion things, most of which would shatter our minds."

"That's helpful," Blake snarked.

"I'm not a philosopher," Ruby said, "I'm Hydaelyn's blade. _What_ she is doesn't interest me. Now, let me talk. The Echo is Hydaelyn's blessing, and grants us several boons. First, and I know you've experienced this one, is the ability to see the past."

"That's a blessing?" Blake asked.

"Might not feel like one when you're going through my past or whatever she showed you," Ruby said, "but it helps when you desperately need to know _what_ happened somewhere. Especially once you get some control over it."

"Alright…" Blake said, "What else?"

"Next," Ruby said, shifting to Eorzean, "and another great one, is the ability to understand any language."

"Wha-" Blake gaped at Ruby, "That… what was that? I could tell what you were saying, but…"

"Yeah," Ruby said, continuing in Doman, "That's another one that grows as time goes on till you can pick up the basics of a language and thank the Twelve it does, you wouldn't believe how hard it is to learn a language when anything anyone says just gets immediately translated in your head. It also works pretty well on writing, though that's even friggin' worse to get around."

"Wait," Blake said, eyes lighting up for the first time since they got back from talking to Hydaelyn, "It works on writing? So I could read books in other languages?"

"Yeah," Ruby said, "Though ciphers don't work a lot of the time, anything a lot of people spoke or speak should be good."

"What else?'" Blake asked.

"We're immune to Tempering," Ruby said, "Which is… a bit of a long story."

"What?" Blake asked.

"We're…" Ruby hesitated, "not from Remnant. Well, I was born here, but I've lived in Eorzea for half again as many years as I did on Remnant… It's a long story."

"Ok," Blake said without blinking.

"Ok?" Ruby repeated, " _Ok_? You're just willing to believe it?"

"I've been in multiple people's memories," Blake said, "talked to a giant crystal and understood two languages I've never heard before. I don't think I really have any room to draw the line at humanoid aliens. You must have been… what, four or five when you went to this… Eorzea?"

"How old do you think I am?" Ruby asked in amusement. This would get her.

"Twenty… three or four?"

"Try thirty two," Ruby said, laughing slightly as Blake's eyes bugged out, "If I hadn't lost a few years, I'd be thirty seven."

"Wha-? Bu-?" Blake gaped, "You're lying."

"Do you really have any room to draw-" Ruby's head jerked forward as a heavy book hit into it from behind, "OW! Alisaie!"

"Stop trying to dodge the subject," Alisaie said dryly, before turning to Blake, "She was living with my grandfather when I was born, so she isn't lying."

"Anyways," Ruby coughed, "Tempering is one of the worst things that can happen to someone. Primals, powerful creatures powered by crystals and the prayers of their worshippers, brainwash you to worship them."

"And once it's done," Alisaie said, voice wavering, "There's no cure and you add to the prayers sustaining the Primal. There's only one thing that can be done at that point."

"You kill them?" Blake's face grew tight, "They- you kill them!?"

"What else can we do?" Ruby asked, "Prayer makes a Primal stronger, they bring a Primal back once we kill them. The only goal people have been Tempered have is to summon their Primal and bring more people to be Tempered-"

"That's an excuse," Blake scoffed.

"It's reality," Ruby said in irritation, "Do you think I like the idea of killing people whose only crime, more often than not, is being kidnapped? I-"

"Whatever," Blake scoffed again, standing up and leaving the carriage, "I don't need to hear this."

Silence fell for a long moment before Lyse spoke up, "Don't worry about her."

"I-"

"She doesn't know," Lyse said with a shrug, "She's never heard of Primals before now. She can call it an excuse all she wants. We know she's wrong."

"Yeah," Ruby said, "Yeah…"

\- X **Ruby** X-

" _Well now, whoever is this?"_

 _Ruby's eyes opened as she felt Rielle duck behind her back, "Hey, Haurche."_

" _Ruby," the Elezen said with a smile, "It's good to see you well, my dear. I had heard of about a clash between you and one of the vigilantes in Whitebrim a week or so back and feared something had gone wrong."_

" _Yeah," Ruby said, rubbing her eyes, "It was rough."_

" _Well, you look amazing now!" Haurchefant said, a glowing smile on his face, "and whoever is this behind you?"_

" _This is Rielle," Ruby said, planting one hand on the child's head, "Rielle, this is Lord Haurchefant Greystone, Commander of Camp Dragonhead."_

" _A pleasure," Haurchefant said, bowing._

" _..." Rielle didn't say anything, peeking out from behind Ruby's back._

" _Sorry," Ruby said, "She's shy."_

" _There's no harm done," Haurchefant said, "save my wounded pride, and I daresay if that's so weak as to be damaged by a child not wishing to speak to a stranger, I deserve far worse. Can I help you two in any way? A fresh shipment of those beans you like arrived from Limsa Lomasia earlier, I was intent on sending them on to the manor, but I doubt my men would begrudge a few mugs of hot milk for guests."_

" _No," Ruby shook her head, "You're dad said you were already hurting for supplies, I don't want to take anything from you I don't need… though if Rielle wants some, I won't stop her."_

" _You always have the most amusing expressions," Haurchefant said._

" _...Beans?" Rielle asked._

" _Cocoa beans," Ruby explained, "For hot chocolate. I'll… I'll give you some when we get back to Ishgard, if you don't want it here."_

" _So," Haurchefant spoke up, "What are you two doing out of the city?"_

" _I'm bringing her to-" Ruby hesitated. Gods, she didn't like lying to Haurche, "-a relative of hers down in Gridania."_

" _Are you sure that's a good idea?" Haurchefant asked, "Don't take the wrong meaning from my words, Ruby, but the Braves are still searching for you. I can spare a couple of knights to bring her down in your stea-"_

" _NO!" Ruby said as she felt Rielle tense behind her, before coughing into her hand, "I mean, it's fine, Haurche."_

" _Hmmm…" Haurchefant nodded, "Very well. I shall suppress my desire to chain you up and drag you back to father's manor and instead pray for your swift and safe return to Ishgard."_

" _You'll be the first person to know," Ruby promised._

" _Well then," Haurchefant shook his head with a sigh, "I should probably get back to work. You're truly lucky that your work doesn't leave you with much paperwork. I have requisitions to sign off on, vacations to unfortunately veto. Still, just seeing you has brightened my day considerably. Rielle, it was a pleasure meeting you, and don't worry about your safety. You have the Warrior of Light herself as your shield."_

" _...Bye," Rielle said as Haurchefant disappeared into the keep._

" _Right," Ruby said, drawing the Chaos Blade and Highway Star off her back, "Let's head out, Sid's probably waiting for us at the Observat-"_

" _We need to go, now," Rielle said suddenly, rushing past Ruby._

" _Uh… isn't that what I was just saying?" Ruby asked, jogging after the girl_.

\- X **Blake** X-

Blake stormed down the hall, feeling her lips pull into a snarl of disgust. How _dare_ they? How many people had they killed under some flimsy excuse of-?

"Oh!" Blake blinked as she turned to go downstairs, coming face to face with Y'shtola, "Hello, Blake."

"Hi," Blake muttered. Great, just great.

"I had actually been on my way towards the room," Y'shtola said, "I had asked Ruby in inquire about if you or the others were hungry, but she never called me back."

"Yeah," Blake said.

"Is something the matter?" Y'shtola asked, "You appear to be distressed."

"Ruby told me about Tempering."

"Ah," Y'shtola nodded, "Yes, that does tend to be the general reaction to said subject, I-"

"You kill those people," Blake said.

"Yes," Y'shtola said, "There's no other wa-"

"That's an excuse," Blake repeated.

"Is it now?" Y'shtola's eyebrow curved up, "and how do you know that?"

"I- What?" Blake asked.

"How do you know that?" Y'shtola asked, "Has Remnant invented a way to free those Tempered from their enslavement? Or did Hydaelyn reveal something to you that Ruby has not designed to inform us? How do you know that it is an excuse?

"I-"

"Or mayhaps," Y'shtola said, "What you mean to say is that it is not a declaration by an accusation, that you believe we claim there is no cure to Tempering as an excuse to justify killing these people… for what reason? What benefit does claiming their lives gain us?"

"They- you can't-"

"None," Y'shtola answered her own question for Blake, "We gain no benefit from it."

"There has to be-"

"Blake, how long have you known of Primals?"

"What?"

"Did you know of the existence of Primals before-" Y'shtola stopped, "Can we relocate this conversation to Alisaie and mine's room?"

"Fine," Blake said, following Y'shtola and crossing her arms.

Once they were inside and seated, Y'shtola spoke back up, "How long have you known about Primals?"

"I… I just learned about them," Blake said.

"Well then," Y'shtola said, "Allow me to inform you that in the many years we have been dealing with Primals, nobody has discovered a way to free those who have been Tempered. We still research into the subject so a day may come when we aren't required to end their lives, but there hasn't been no progress on the subject."

"I-"

"I would appreciate it," Y'shtola said, "as would the others, I assume, if you didn't throw around baseless accusations about subjects you know little to nothing about. None of us take any joy in taking their lives, but we bear no choice."

"Yeah," Blake said, "I guess I'm just jumpy…"

"Understandably," Y'shtola said, "Now if you would excuse me, I should probably go talk to the others to let them know this matter has been sorted out and there are no hard feelings about it… correct?"

"Yeah," Blake said with a yawn, "I'm going to sle-"

Where? She didn't want to go back to her room…

"Feel free to use my bed for the moment Y'shtola said, patting the bed she was sitting on.

"Thanks," Blake said, climbing into it and dozing off as the sound of the door opening and closing punctuated Y'shtola's departure.

\- X **Blake** X-

 _Blake's conjoined swords clashed with the greatsword of a man wearing a white mask bearing the image of an animal, a smirk across her face as she easily halted the blow. She drew a heavy gun from her back, leveling it at his face, "Checkmate."_

" _Could you be more clic-" the man was cut off as his head snapped back and the gun kicked like a horse. Turning away from the collapsed man, Blake loaded three bullets into the rifle sized pistol, stepping to the edge of the platform they were on and looking down._

" _There you are!" Blake stopped from where she was lining up her shot, turning towards where Papalymo, Yda and the white haired boy were running towards her._

" _Ruby," the boy said, "Would you send up a flare? Lady Yugiri is sending for an airship as we speak."_

" _Sure," Blake said, unloading the bullets and loading another. Ok, riding in Ruby's shoes again. Good to know._

" _What do we do?" Yda asked, "This… This is a massacre!"_

" _Check the Griffin for a linkpearl," Blake said as she lifted the gun to the air, "Order a full retreat of the resistance forces."_

" _Good idea," Yda nodded, turning away as Blake fired a silver flare into the sky, "Oh no…"_

" _Wha-?" Blake was in agreement with Ruby as she cut herself off, gun nearly slipping from her hand as the Griffin staggered back up, mask shattered and hood pushed back to reveal a familiar face._

" _It's good to see you, Commander," Ilberd said with a laugh._

" _Ilberd," the boy spat, "I should have known…"_

" _Ilberd," Blake said, "Sound the retreat. You're just getting the men under you killed."_

" _You know she's right," Boy said, "If you sound the retreat, we'll help your men get you safety!"_

" _You always were a child sheltered child, Leveilleur," Ilberd scoffed, "Why would I order a retreat now, when my moment of triumph us so close?"_

" _Close?" Blake snapped, "_ _ **Close**_ _? Look down there Ilberd! You're no closer to winning now than you were when you betrayed us! Is this how far you've fallen, that you would betray your peop-"_

 _Blake's voice froze as Ilberd pulled out a pair of red slitted eyes encased in ice. Behind her Leveilleur's voice came breathless, "Nidhogg's eyes…"_

" _Didn't you wonder how I, a simple hyur, was capable of clashing with the Warrior of Light?" Ilberd laughed._

" _Ilberd, that power isn't meant for mortal hands!" Leveilleur said._

" _How long do you think I struggled to reach this point?" Ilberd asked, "How long do you think shouted my voice raw with rallying cries, only to be greeted with not but the dull eyes of men who gave up liberty so easily?"_

" _Shut!" Blake snapped loading her gun and firing three shots at Ilberd. The eyes in his hands flashed, a barrier absorbing each attack, "Up!"_

" _The men down there?" Ilberd said, "Those aren't_ _ **my**_ _people! They either sold their souls to the Monetarists long ago-"_

" _Like you?" Yda asked._

" _-or never knew a free Ala Mhigo! You say no mortal should wield these eyes? Then I'll abandon my mortality," Ilberd said, deflecting a blast of fire from Papalymo, "I'll become a demon, a fiend, a_ _ **god**_ _to free the homeland by consuming the souls of those who don't deserve it!"_

" _A Primal," Blake said, stomach rolling, "You're going to- don't do it, Ilberd! If the Empire finds out someone from Ala Mhigo summoned a Primal, they'll-"_

" _I don't want to hear the words of a woman who wields the blades of a_ _ **conqueror**_ _," Ilberd said, "Each time the Empire has been relentlessly crushed, it has been at the claws of one of Midgardsormr's brood… and that's what I'll do here! I'll summon a deity more powerful that the black wyrm of the Calamity! One that will raze the Empire and Ul'dah to ash!"_

" _Like hells you wi-" before Yda could finish, Ilberd gave a mad smile._

" _An ending," he started, "to mark a new beginning…"_

 _And then he tipped backwards, laughing maniacally, and disappeared over the edge of the edge of the platform. Seconds later, a pillar of light launched into the sky._

" _No…" Blake breathed._

" _His death," Papalymo said, "completed the ritual. The primal is taking shape."_

" _Can't we stop it?" Yda asked, "There has to be something we can do!"_

" _There…" Papalymo said, walking towards the light, "there is one thing. Master Louisoix briefly contained Bahamut with-"_

" _No," Blake shook her head, "No, no. Papalymo, I was there, that spell held Bahamut for seconds at most and that was with Tupsimati_ _ **and**_ _the Twelve backing him."_

" _Bahamut had also been completely summoned," Papalymo responded, "for thousands of years. I need not seal the Primal away forever, just long enough for you to activate Omega."_

" _But it would take hours," Leveilleur said, "maybe even days to gather the necessary Aether."_

" _It may not always be apparent, Alphinaud " Papalymo said, revealing a broken staff head, "but I was ever your grandsire's finest pupil."_

" _...Could it work?" Blake asked Alphinaud, who nodded._

" _Yes, even broken, Tupsimati holds incredible Aetheric power."_

" _Don't you dare," Yda said as the airship came down behind them, "I know what-"_

" _It's time to go!" a voice called from the airship._

" _Quite right," Papalymo nodded, "Off you go! The further away-"_

" _No," Yda shook her head, "If you're staying, so am I!"_

" _No, Yda!" Papalymo snapped, turning towards her, "There's a path only you can walk, and it can't end here-"_

" _Alphinaud," Blake said under her breath._

" _Yes?"_

" _Give me your grimoire."_

" _Wh-" Alphinaud started, before nodding, handing a book to Blake as Thancred ran past them, grabbing Yda and running back to the ship. Alphinaud gave another nod before running to the ship._

" _This is one battle you cannot fight-"_

" _I'm not going to fight it," Blake said, flicking through the book._

" _Ruby…"_

" _I'm not leaving you," Blake jerked in shock as Ruby stepped forward, leaving her behind._

" _They need you Ruby," Papalymo said._

" _ **We**_ _need you," Ruby responded, "Urianger and I… we weren't half the students you were. I know how that spell works too, maybe if we cast it together… with your skill and Hydaelyn's blessing, maybe…"_

" _Very well," Papalymo sighed, "Come over here."_

 _It was nearly too quick for Blake to catch, Ruby hadn't taken more than a dozen steps when Papalymo swung back around blasting her back and onto the airship as it took off. Papalymo looked up at it sadly, "I bid thee farewell again, my dear Yda… Now, let us see how good a student I truly was…"_

 _Blake walked closer, standing behind the lalafell and just… just trying to be a comforting presence through time and memory. In the sky, the pulsing ball of energy was pierced by twelve spears of crystal as a moon formed around them._

 _Before Blake's eyes, Papalymo's skin started to glow and flake away as motes of light. The determined look on the lalafell's face was replaced with a satisfied smile and, just for a second, Blake thought she saw him look over at her out of the corner of his eye as the light from the moon overtook him._

 _And then he was gone, only Tupsimati and his own staff clattering against against the stone as testimony that he had stood there._

" _An interesting end."_

 _Blake jumped in place as two men walked through her, one in white robes and the other in black. The black one reached down, touching Tupsimati and jumping back with a hiss._

" _Not what you expected_ _?" the one in white said._

" _To have the presence of mind to enchant it such before his death… but it will only last a matter of days at mos_ _t."_

" _Enough for them to retrieve it_ _," the one in white said._

" _True_ _," the other nodded, "_ _It was foolish of me to think it would be so easy._ _"_

" _Find what you can about the girl_ _," White said,_ _"I have reason to believe she is not of this world_ _."_

" _Of course_ _," Black nodded, vanishing._

" _And I will turn my eyes north…_ _" White said._


	4. Chapter 4

Ruby sat with her legs below her, doing her best to meditate. A knock came from the door, "Come in!"

"I met with Blake," Y'shtola said as she stepped into the room.

Ruby breathed in through her nose, "Really?"

"Yes. She is willing to concede that she _may_ have overreacted on the matter of Tempering."

"She is, is she?"

Ruby heard Y'shtola give an exasperated sigh, "Could you _not_?"

"What?" Ruby said, eyes cracking open as she resisted the urge to grin at Y'shtola emulating a very Remnantian speech, "I'm just supposed to let her act like I want to do the part of my job I hate the most?"

"I did not take you to be so easily affected by the words of a child half your age."

"Shtola, we've known each other for how long?"

"Don't think I'm conceding the subject by letting you divert it," Y'shtola sighed, "To answer your question… Gods, that isn't an easy question _to_ answer, is it?"

Ruby chuckled, glad Y'shtola was willing to let her abandon the subject, "Seriously, what do we count? I mean, you didn't even _remember me_ for a few years."

"How I could ever forget your existence, I do not know," Y'shtola sighed, shaking her head, "A testimony to the power of the Mothercrystal, I suppose."

"Yeah," Ruby said, running a hand through her hair… and stopping as Y'shtola's eyes followed the movement, "Shtola…"

"Damn," the blind Scion muttered, no doubt aware she had been caught.

"Y'shtola," Ruby said, "I thought… we talked about this. Please, it's not worth-"

-Her dying. Y'shtola had always been willing to resort to methods of magic that weren't safe, from using the spell Flow to escape from Ul'dah during the coup…

And then use her eyes to sense Aether as a way around the blindness _that_ had induced.

"It's just so," Y'shtola sighed, "so prohibitive!"

"Well…" if the subject hadn't been so grim, Ruby would have done a dance at being able to be on _this_ side of that particular exchange for once.

"You know what I mean," Y'shtola said.

"I've just-" Ruby said, "I've already lost you once, Shtola, I can't do it again."

"I'll try to resist the urge," Y'shtola sighed.

"Thanks," Ruby smiled.

"I must say," Y'shtola said, "It's going to be an interesting ride if we don't find another location to house Blake. She's asleep in my bed, and I'm starting to wear thin myself…"

"You can use my bed," Ruby offered, "I'm not tired-"

"At the moment, but you will be eventually, and we'll be on this train for a while yet."

"Oh, uh.. yeah. I'll try to find something while you're asleep."

"Thank you," Y'shtola said, "if you don't mind, I'll take advantage of your offer now."

"Go ahead," Ruby said, standing up and walking out of the room to go get something to eat.

\- **?** -

 _Her feet crunched on the ground as she walked alongside a woman with brown-red hair and the woman with pale blue hair. They were between three bug like creatures, one of which stepped forward as the stopped, mouth twitching, "Lord Ravana! We call to You, oh Master of the Sacred Blades! Grace us with Your glorious form!"_

 _Slowly, the Dust gathered around the room pulsed, flames licking up in a circle as a massive bug man stepped forward from nothing, a talwar in each of his four hands, "What_ _ **hath**_ _thou called upon me for?"_

" _My lord," he started, "These two-"_

" _Lord Ravana," the one with blue hair said, "We have to come to inquire about why you have gone to war with Dravania."_

" _Is thine own war with the dragons not going well, mortal?" Ravana asked._

" _...No," Blue said, "but it is not like the Gnath to march to war, so it raises the question-"_

" _We go to war," Ravana said, "_ _ **because**_ _it is war! Doest thou need a reason to take a walk through the woods?"_

" _...No?"_

" _Then why do we need a reason to march to war?" Ravana said._

" _I see," Blue said, looking back at Red with half lidded eyes. Red nodded, "Then, Lord Ravana, we challenge you to combat!"_

" _Oh, perhaps thou do understand?"_

" _If we win, then your war with Dravania ends!"_

 _Ravana was silent, before laughing, "Very well, mortal! But if I win, thou must march to war_ _ **with**_ _me!"_

" _Very well," Blue nodded, "Then I will go first!"_

 _Before her eyes, Blue was encased in ice, a shift appeared to take place within before it shattered, revealing that Blue had changed rapidly._

 _Her robes had been replaced with a tight blue doublet, her light blue hair replaced with a darker shade and a crown of icicles appeared in her hair. She skated on thin air, stopping before Ravana._

" _What is this?" Ravana asked, "A god in flesh?"_

" _Is something wrong, Lord Ravana?" Blue taunted, forming a sword and shield out of ice._

" _Wrong?" Ravana said, "No, merely unexpected. What is thy name?"_

" _I am Iceheart."_

" _A fitting name, though I doubt it is the one thy progenitors gave thee. Come, Iceheart, let us know each other."_

 _Ravana moved, his four swords smashing into Iceheart's shield and shattering it. Iceheart skated backwards, the ice shards gouging into Ravana's eyes as she clicked her fingers._

 _Ravana froze, Iceheart skating past him again. Then he flexed, ice shattering as he sent blasts of fire at Iceheart._

 _Ice collided with them, sending up some steam that Ravana jumped through, impaling Iceheart._

 _Throwing the woman aside and ignoring the blast of ice she sent his way before collapsing, Ravana turned towards Red, "And what of thou? Art thou a warrior, or a craven?"_

" _Guess," Red said, drawing her spear._

" _Good," Ravana said, "and thine name?"_

" _Ruby Rose."_

" _Ruby Rose," Ravana said with a nod, "A good name, a beautiful one, like blood flecked blades. Come, Ruby, let the sacred rite begin again!"_

 _Ruby smirked, sliding on a helm shaped like a four eyed animal, before lowering herself into a runner's position and charging forward, spear crashing into Ravana's blades._

\- X **Alisaie** X -

Alisaie looked out the train as a bolt of levin struck in the distance, watching rain lash against the windows. Slowly, her hand reached up and she pressed it against the linkpearl earring, beginning to talk quietly, "Alphinaud? I… I know you probably can't hear this, but just in case, I wished to try."

Nothing.

"We're on a train heading for Vale," Alisaie said, "and were in Mistral for a few days. I could hardly believe it… You loved those stories growing up, and instead of being here, you're missing in action. I-"

"Hey!" Alisaie let go of her linkpearl as Ruby crashed into a chair opposite from her, a styrofoam cup in her hand as she smiled at Alisaie, "Worrying about Alph? Gods, this stuff is disgusting."

"I thought you liked all hot chocolate?"

"It's coffee," Ruby said with a scrunched up nose, "and not even the ok stuff Tataru makes."

"Let me try it," Alisaie said, taking the cup and sipping from it… and nearly spitting it out, "Uhg, it's _bitter_!"

"Yeah," Ruby said, grabbing it back and swiftly drinking the rest, giving a whole body convulsion, "Remind me never to buy that again."

"Why'd you drink it?"

"Need to stay awake," Ruby said, "And Y'shtola is using my bed."

"Why isn't she using her own bed?"

"Blake's using it," Ruby said, leaning against the window without a care of the levin striking in the distance.

Alisaie rolled her eyes at that. Of course Ruby would find some random person to help, that was all her hero _ever did_.

"I-" Alisaie stopped as Ruby closed her eyes, "Why don't you just nap here?"

"Good idae," Ruby slurred, going silent as Alisaie went back to her book, Alphinaud away from her mind for a bit.

\- X **Ruby** X-

Ruby gave an exhausted sigh as she closed the grimoire Louisoix had given her, numbers _swimming in front of her eyes. Standing from the desk, Ruby walked to the door of her room and opened it as another bang echoed through the halls, "Thancred? Keep it down? I trying to study!"_

" _Isn't me!" Thancred called, head popping out of his room._

" _What?" Ruby said, mind reeling. But that meant it was... "Louisoix?"_

" _He's talking to some old hag and another-"_

" _Tis insanity, I say!" a voice said, "Why should_

 _we even consider the upstart's threat?"_

" _The Forum is merely doing their duty," another old man said, "Tis nothing to worry about, by the time they would come to a verdict, the children of Rhalgr will have, pardon the pun, thoroughly destroyed the so called Garlean Empire."_

" _We believed the same of Othard, Quan. It didn't-" Louisoix stopped as the quartet turned the corner, "Ah, just who I was looking for!"_

" _Whose this?" an elderly woman said, squinting at them, "I didn't take you to be the type to keep a mistress, yo-"_

" _A what?" Ruby asked, tilting her head._

" _Do not worry yourself with it, child," the rotund man next to her said, "My colleague is merely attempting to rile Louisoix up. I am Archmage Quan and this is Matoya. You must be Louisoix's new student, correct?"_

 _Ruby nodded, "Yes."_

" _And this," Quan continued, gesturing to the white haired girl with cat ears and a tail around Ruby's age behind Matoya, "is Y'shtola, Matoya's apprentice. I believe you're actually both to be enrolled in the Studium next year, if what little I was able to make out from my colleagues flirta- arguing is correct. Do the world a favor, don't turn out like them."_

" _What's that supposed to mean?" Louisoix and Matoya chorused, before growling at each other._

" _It's a pleasure to meet you," Y'shtola bowed, "My name tis Y'shtola, might I inquire yours?"_

" _I'm Ruby," the thirteenth year old said, "Nice to meet you, Yahshtola."_

" _Why is she speaking like she suffered brain damage?" Matoya asked._

" _That's actually why I was looking for her. Quan, you're a master of more… esoteric languages, correct?"_

" _I like to think of myself as one, why?"_

" _Ruby's mother tongue is not of Eorzea, nor any other land I recognize. I was hoping you might be capable of recognizing it."_

" _Truly?" Quan turned to her, a wide smile, "Please, say something, and then the closest translation you can."_

" _Hello, I'm Ruby Rose, I'm not from around here," Ruby said, before repeating it in Eorzean,_

" _Hmmm… Not one I recognize on sound, but one I would greatly enjoy delving into. Perhaps me and Louisoix could borrow your time to attempt to craft a translation spell at some point?"_

" _Ok," Ruby said._

" _In the meanwhile," Louisoix said, "Would you be so kind as to keep Y'shtola company, you two? I must speak to Matoya and Quan alone."_

 _Ruby nodded, gesturing for the cat girl to follow her, "We'll go to the city, we're low on food."_

" _Again?" Louisoix asked, "I bought some a week ago!"_

" _...You realize that what was enough to sustain you isn't the same for three people, right, you old coot?" Matoya asked, "Or has it been that long since your son stopped talking to you?_

" _I-!" before Louisoix could say anything, Quan coughed into his hand._

" _Perhaps you could hand over the money before you fight?"_

" _Yes," Louisoix nodded, doing so, "Of course. Good luck, you three. Now, where was I…? Ah, yes, at least I know what it's like to_ _ **have**_ _a family, you hag!"_

 _Ruby met Y'shtola's eyes, before they both silently grabbed Thancred from where he was watching the argument with an amused smile and slipped out of the house before spells started flying._

\- X **Y'shtola** X-

Y'shtola's eyes opened to blackness, ears twitching towards the sound of ruffling paper. Finally, Ruby spoke up, "So, you're awake?"

Y'shtola didn't answer, hesitating. There was something… off… about Ruby's voice. It was gruffer than normal, the Sharlayan accent replaced with one she recognized from Hilda "The Mongrel" Ware, the Scion's occasional ally from Ishgard, "Yes, how long was I asleep for?"

"Couple o' hours," Ruby said, "You alright? You look like Alphinaud just flirted wit' you again."

"Thank you for reminding me of that," Y'shtola said with a sigh, "Though it was less flirtation and more him admitting to-"

"I'm just pullin' your tail," Ruby said with a chuckle.

"What's going on?"

"Whaddya mean?"

"You sound strange."

"So?"

"So, you don't sound like Ruby."

"Are you implyin' I'm not?"

Y'shtola hesitated, ears twitching. Normally, she'd accept the implied 'that's ridiculous', but now, in a land where everything they knew came from a half remembered life of almost a quarter of a century ago… "Prove you're her."

"How?"

"Something only Ruby knows."

"Alright," Maybe-Ruby sighed, "Let's see… The year we graduated, I finally got you to finally come to the Starlight Celebration party Louisoix threw every year, remember?"

"You said finally twice," Y'shtola said, "and that isn't anything-"

"Hold your chocobos, I wasn't done," Maybe-Ruby continued, "Thancred had spiked the fruit juice, something you should have caught by the way, and you got really drunk so we let you stay the night… and you kept trying to sneak into my bed."

"I- oh-" Y'shtola felt her face flush as her low tolerance for alcohol was indirectly mentioned, "Yes, of course. I'm sorry, I suppose I'm still tired."

"It's fine," Ruby said, standing up and walking past Y'shtola, "See you around, Shtola. Love ya."

Y'shtola waited for Ruby to be far enough away before speaking, "I didn't say I was going back to sleep."

A crash of thunder echoed across the sky, making Y'shtola wonder if she _should_ go back to bed. Blind, there wasn't much to do on the train.

Yawning, Y'shtola settled back down to sleep, listening to the rain.

\- X **Ruby** X-

 _Ruby pushed through the crowd, looking down as a little kid tugged at her white cloak she wore over her black armor. Reaching into a pouch, Ruby pulled out a sack of gil, dropping it into their hands, "Here."_

" _I-" a smile blossomed on the kid's dirty face, "Thank you, ma'am."_

" _Be careful with it," Ruby advised, smiling._

" _I will!" the child smiled, tail swaying as they turned and ran through the crowd. Ruby drew the flintlock she hid under the cloak, leveling it at the Brass Blade starting to follow the Au Ra and firing. People turned as the gun went off, watching the Blade collapse as their leg gave out before turning away without a care._

 _Turning back to her destination, Ruby met the eyes of two more Blades. Spinning the conjoined Chaos Blade and Highway Star, Ruby watched the Blades stop before they moved around her to pick up their fallen comrade._

 _With Ilberd on the run and the threat of Ruby revealing Lolorito used an attempted assassination of the Sultana to grasp power, the Blades had been effectively neutered when it came to her._

 _Stepping into the Hall of Flames, Ruby walked towards the gathering of people in one corner, nodding and smiling, "Sorry I'm late."_

" _Tis fine," Urianger said, "I take it you're behind the commotion outside, my friend?"_

" _Gave a kid some gil," Ruby said, "Blade moved towards them, probably going to claim they stole it and take it. They're lucky I just kneecapped them."_

" _...You're being rather irate," Urianger said, "Are you-?"_

" _Fine," Ruby said, curtly, "What do you have for us, Pip?"_

" _If you don't mind, Lady Rose-" Pipin Tarupin, the Lalafell Vice Marshal of the Immortal Flames started, before Tataru shook her head, "Excuse me?"_

" _She's going to call you Pip either way, Marshal," the Scions' receptionist said, "Don't take offense to it, it just means she trusts you."_

" _I see," Pipin said with a nod, "Then I will endeavor to make sure that trust is not misplaced, as I know it must be difficult to place it within someone from Ul'dah again, Lady Rose-"_

" _Call me Ruby," the Warrior of Light said._

" _Ruby," Pipin corrected himself, "As for why I called you here, it's about your missing companions."_

" _That's what Tataru said," Ruby said, "But what? I'm busy."_

" _I apologize for her behavior," Alphinaud said, "She's been going through a rather rough time up in Ishgard."_

" _Tis fine," Pipin said, "Father has taught me that when it comes to Ruby, the more fanciful the tale, the more likely it to be true. If a fifth of the thing's we're hearing from traders and adventurers are true, Ruby has all the reason to be curt. To answer, we finished the excavation of the tunnels you last saw the Ladies Y'shtola and Minfilia and Lord Thancred."_

" _And?" Alphinaud said, "What did you find?"_

" _Quite a few crushed Crystal Braves, and no sign of any of your friends except this," Pipin held out a familiar tree branch. Ruby gasped, dropping her swords and grabbing it._

" _Y'shtola's wand!" Ruby gasped, studying it._

" _Ruby?" Urianger said, pulling on the Sharlayan goggles he wore over his head, holding out is hand, "If I might…?"_

" _Here," Ruby said, "You know more about conjury than I do."_

" _Don't sell thyself short, my friend," Urianger said, "I might know more of this matter, but the Echo allows you to understand aether in ways I couldn't even hope to- Aha! You would not have needed my help on this one after all."_

" _What? Why?" Ruby said._

" _It's not conjuration at all," Urianger said, "Ruby, would you be so kind as to describe the mechanics of 'Flow' to our comrades?"_

" _Flow?" Ruby said with a squawk, "She used_ _ **Flow**_ _? Thal's balls, what was she_ _ **thinking**_ _?"_

" _Most likely that the cons of staying outwayed the cons of using it," Urianger said._

" _Sorry," Alphinaud said, "What's Flow?"_

" _It's an old spell," Ruby said, "One the Forum forbid_ _ **centuries**_ _ago. I'm not even sure how Y'shtola learned it, Thal's balls."_

" _You said that already."_

" _Ruby has ample reason too," Urianger said, "Her and that spell… they have history."_

" _The bastards in the Forum threw out my thesis because it was on 'forbidden research'," Ruby scoffed, "which Matoya called, and I quote 'the biggest pile of Behemoth shite' she'd heard from them in a long time."_

" _I quite agree with that assessment," Urianger said, "I read it, said thesis was sound, it wasn't as if you were suggesting subjecting anyone to Flow to test it and I have found naught saying a scholar cannot submit a thesis about the_ _ **potential**_ _applications of a forbidden spell."_

" _Whatever," Ruby said with an roll of her eyes, "Anyroads, Flow's an old, instant teleporting spell. Would be a godsend if it didn't have some real bad side effects. It works by breaking down the body into Aether and throwing it into the Lifestream. You're supposed to reform on the other side… but the Lifestream ain't really a stream, it's more like an ocean, and like any ocean, you can get lost."_

" _And if you aren't found quickly," Urianger said, "Your component Aether will be scattered and soul broken apart. In short-"_

" _We need to hurry," Ruby said, "Can you get a heading on where she was going, Uri?"_

" _With pleasure," Urianger bowed, "We'll need to start at the closest location to where their Aether would have exited the tunnels."_

" _Right," Ruby nodded, "C'mon, we're burning time."_

" _Then lead the way," Urianger said._

 _Ruby nodded, striding out of the Hall and through the small gathering of Brass Blades. She'd already lost Haurchefant, she wasn't going to lose Y'shtola, Minfilia or Thancred._

\- X **Ruby** X-

Ruby's eyes slid open, staring at the black haired Miqo'te across from her as they entered a tunnel, "What?"

Blake flinched slightly, eyes diverting, "I'm… uh… I'm sorry about what I said earlier, it was… it wasn't right for me to act like that."

"You don't say?" Ruby said, incapable of keeping the dry sardonicism out of her voice as she stared at Blake through lidded eyes. Gods, she was tired.

 _And it was because,_ Fray pointed out snidely, _she had stayed up all night to make sure the girl in front of her was alright. Something that she had been repaid with through, surprise, more accusations._

Ruby took a moment to ruthlessly, and perhaps a bit gleefully, bludgeon that part over the head until it stopped talking. She didn't have time to deal with her psychosis at the moment.

 _But was Blake wrong?_ The Myste part started, _They were responsible-_

That part quickly followed suit, silencing itself as Ruby snarled at it.

"I- Listen," Blake said, "I can't take back what I said there, I know. I'm sorry, I really am, and you have every reason to be angry-"

"Don't worry about it," Ruby said, "I still put up with people that did a lot worse, it's in the past."

"I-"

"Past," Ruby repeated, "You need anything in particular, kid, or did you come this way to apologize? Because if I found out I got on this train with an Ilberd, I wouldn't be hanging out where he could find me."

"Ki-" Blake started in confusion before sighing, "Right, you're older than you look. I had wanted to ask you something about the Echo."

"Go ahead," Ruby said.

"Is it possible to give someone the Echo?" Blake asked.

"Why?" Ruby asked.

"I just… I…" Blake's voice faulted, "I was hoping that it might he…"

"Want to repeat that loud enough that I can actually hear it?" Ruby asked.

"I was hoping it would let Adam…"

"Realize he's an idiot?" Ruby supplied.

"Sure," Blake said.

"To answer your question," Ruby continued, "There's been experiments for it, some have worked, but I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy. Not that it would matter, bunch of them already have the Echo."

"Why-?" Blake started.

"You know what loop you were in?" Ruby asked, "The one that sent you thowin' up in my bathroom? That's you going through the Echo on setting one, with Hydaelyn keeping you from getting hit with it all. Resonants don't get that. They get the Echo at full power from second one, and that's not a good thing to have if you aren't ready for it."

"Why?"

"Because you saw it from my point of view," Ruby said, "and maybe got a few ghosts of what I felt. Imagine watching something from someone's body, feeling how they feel on top of what you feel and thinking what they thought… and not being able to turn it off. The only person I've ever seen who could use it without those was a psychopath, and he didn't care about those things."

"Oh," Blake said, "That's- Oh, no…"

Ruby glanced behind them, locking on the scowling red haired man moving through the train "That's Adam, then?"

"Yeah," Blake said, "What do-"

Ruby stood up, eyes locking onto the boy with long blue hair who had appeared next to the light switch. Ruby curtly nodded to him, and a small, rare smile flitted across Myste's face as reached up and turned out the lights.

"Come on," Ruby said, grabbing Blake by the arm and dragging her up the stairs as a Myste spawned copy of Ruby settled down opposite a black haired creation who could, under generous circumstances, be confused for Blake from a distant. Ruby ignored the slight burn in her chest as they retreated upstairs, swiftly dragging energy from the Aetherial Sea to replace what she had lost, "We're gonna need to figure out what we're going to do about him, tis too long a ride for you to dodge him the entire time."

Blake nodded silently, looking back down the stairs.

\- X **Rielle** X-

 _Rielle followed Ruby in silence, eyes trained ahead as Ruby's armor clanked. Finally, Ruby held out her arm, stopping Rielle, "Listen to me very carefully, ok?"_

 _Rielle nodded, "Okay."_

" _This probably isn't gonna matter," Ruby said, "de Caulignont doesn't have the kind of people needed to keep up with me… but if something goes wrong, if me and Sid lose, you need to get back to take my Chocobo and ride until you can cast Teleport to get back to Ishgard."_

" _But-"_

" _Then," Ruby said, "And this is the important part, you need to find Count Edmont de Fortemps. He knows what's going on, he knows de Caulignont is insane, and while if we beat her here, she loses… if she wins, somehow, he'll keep you safe, get you to some friends of mine."_

" _But-"_

" _He's Haurche's dad," Ruby said, "You can trust him."_

" _How is Haurchefant?" Rielle asked, "You haven't mentioned him recently…"_

" _Haurche is," Ruby said, turning away from Rielle, "He's not around… Just… don't worry, Edmont's a good man, he'll make sure you're safe. C'mon, let's get this over with."_

 _Rielle nodded, following Ruby to where Sid was waiting. The Au Ra looked back at them, before his eyes focused forward, "Good, you're here."_

" _What'd she bring?"_

" _Nothing we haven't faced before," Sid said, eyes flickering to them, "Ready?"_

" _As I'll ever be," Ruby said, drawing the sword from her back and following after Sid. Rielle followed after them, clutching the branch Ruby had given her as they approached the gathering of Ishgardian soldiers._

" _So you came," Rielle's mother said as they approached._

" _You were threatening to kill innocent people if we didn't," Ruby said, "Of course we came."_

" _How could I be sure?" Ystride asked, "You're heretics guarding a dem-"_

" _Finish that sentence," Ruby said, taking a half step so she was in front of Rielle, "and this will be a very,_ _ **very**_ _short conversation."_

" _You think you're a threat?" Ystride scoffed, "Lady Rose-"_

 _Ruby muttered something unflattering about Ystride's intelligence just loud enough for Rielle to hear, "What, de Caulignont?"_

" _I'm surprised you're standing against me on this matter. After Sir Haurchefant gave his life to protect Ishgard, I would think you would make an effort to do the sa-"_

" _There's a difference," Ruby said, voice glacial, "Between protecting Ishgard and doing what any member of the nobility says. I understand that a lot of you feel the common folk are a step above slaves to do what you want to, but I don't agree."_

 _Rielle's mouth had fallen open at her mother's words, Ruby's dower behavior suddenly thrown into context. Haurchefant was dead?_

" _It was tainted by dragon's blood," Ystride said, "Or did it not tell you-?"_

 _Ruby span towards Rielle, sword swinging down… and embedding in the snow between Rielle and Ystride, the massive blade hiding Rielle as there was a strange hissing noise. Peaking around the sword, Rielle watched Ruby clench a pair of swords, "Wha-?"_

" _Stay there!" Ruby called, sliding down the visor of her helm, "This'll be over soon! As for_ _ **you**_ _, I know things about the Dragonsong War and your precious Ishgard that would make you throw yourself from the Vault! Maybe, if you keep it up, I'll tell you why Ishgardians can turn into dragons. Sid! Keep any reinforcements from getting to Rielle, de Caulignont is mine."_

" _Fine," Sid said, turning away from the fight and slashing at the air, bolts of black fire crashing into a pair of knights trying to sneak up on them, "Would you look at that? The vaunted Temple Knights of Ishgard, attempting to sneak up on two warriors and a little girl, how very surprising..."_

" _You-!" Ystride had to dodge back as Ruby rushed through the snow, black fire arcing from her swords and blasting through a chirurgeon and a lance wielding knight._

" _Who is that?" Ruby asked, pointing a Rielle, "Who is_ _ **she**_ _, de Caulignont?"_

" _It's-!" Ystride was cut off as Ruby's sword flicked forward, missing her neck by half an ilm._

" _Wrong!" Ruby snapped, connecting her swords before launching a ball of abyssal energy at an archer standing on the cliff behind Ystride, "Try again, who is she?"_

" _I don't-"_

" _Rielle!" Ruby cut Ystride off, free hand latching onto the front of her robes, "Your daughter!"_

" _That thing-" Ystride didn't finish the sentence as Ruby dropped her sword, slugging the countess across the face._

" _ **She**_ _is your daughter," Ruby said growing voice rougher as abyssal flames starting to rise off her, "Your daughter! Say it, say it-"_

" _Ruby!" Rielle said, "Stop-"_

" _-Say it," Ruby repeated, eyes red pinpricks as she hit Ystride again, "Say-"_

" _Sid!" Rielle yelled, "Sid, get over here-"_

" _Little busy!" Sid growled, kicking another knight off his sword._

 _Rielle ran around the sword, grabbing Ruby's arm and hanging off it as she dug her feet into the snow, "Ruby! Ruby, please stop! I don't care what she calls me! I have you and Sid!"_

 _Ruby finally stopped, dropping Ystride to the ground as she turned to Rielle, "You don't-?"_

" _She doesn't care about me, anymore," Rielle said, "She loves Halone more than she loved me… let's go back to Ishgard… Haurchefant wouldn't want you to do something like this."_

" _...Yeah," Ruby said, "Let's go home."_

" _Do you think-" Ystride said, pushing herself up from where Ruby had dropped her, "Do you think I will let you escape with it? I won't stop chasing you for as long as I live-!"_

" _Which is where I come in," Sidurgu said, striding away from the last guard, "You two start heading back, I'll clean up here."_

" _You sure?" Ruby asked._

" _Yes."_

" _Right," Ruby nodded, picking up the swords and dispersing them in a burst of black fire, grabbing the greatsword she had left behind, "C'mon, Rielle, I still owe you some hot chocolate…"_

 _\- X AN X-_

Thoughts? Good? Bad? Meh? Either way, cookies to whomever catches what Y'shtola's inability to hold her liquor is a nod to!


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry this took a bit, I had some burn out, and then, because Fate hates me or something, I literally burned the crap outta my arm.

\- X **Ruby** X-

Ruby stared at her bed, brain too tired to deal with the problem presented to her. Namely, Y'shtola Rhul, infamous amongst the Scions for liking a good sleep more than anyone, still unconscious in the thankfully large bed.

 _Just lie down next to her_ , Fray said, voice dry even by the standards of an creature that only really, as far as Ruby had ever seen, was either showing dry contempt for the world or being violent to the same world, _She doesn't care_.

Ruby tensed at the whisper from her darker half, "Shut up."

 _What? You know it's true._

"Shut up," Ruby repeated, harsher, and made her way to the couch, curling up on it.

 _Really? Alright, this is getting unhealthy, Ruby. Stop._

"Shut up," Ruby said for the third time, "You've been chatty recently."

 _All I've ever wanted is for you to be happy and healthy. The path you're on leads to neither. It's Lyse all over again, this place isn't your ho-_

"Didn't I just tell you to shut up?"

 _And then immediately asked me a question. Paradoxical, isn't it?_

"Whatever," Ruby said, turning away from Y'shtola, "Just stop talking."

Fray did so for a second, but Ruby could feel them standing behind her, waiting, _You'll realize I'm right soon. You always do-_

"SHUT," Ruby snapped, "UP!"

"Wuh-" Y'shtola sat up, looking around, "What…?"

"Nothing," Ruby said, perhaps a bit too brusque.

"Why are you over there?" Y'shtola asked.

"I was gonna try and sleep," Ruby said.

"...Come to bed," Y'shtola said.

"I-"

"Ruby, this is your bed," Y'shtola said, sounding exasperated, "I have no right to take it from you. Either we share it as a stop gap, or I leave here to find a place to find for Blake to sleep."

"Fine," Ruby said reluctantly, not wanting to force Y'shtola to get up before she was ready. Climbing into the bed, Ruby closed her eyes, feeling Y'shtola's fingers run through her hair, and fell asleep.

\- X **Ruby** X-

 _Ruby rushed towards Rhalgr's Reach, splitting her swords as she approached the Galeans guarding the entrance. Coiling her body, Ruby launched past them, black energy echoing the cuts she had made on the leader across his troops. Looking around through the flames, the Warrior of Light gave a hissing breath. Lyse… Shtola…_

 _They couldn't end up like Haurche, she wouldn't let that happen…_

" _Ruby!" Alphinaud called, "I… Go! Find Lyse and Y'shtola! Krile, Alisaie, Pipin and I will help the wounded."_

 _Ruby nodded, leaping off the cliff and landing in front of a guard on a magitek reaper. This time, Ruby wasted no movement, no twirls, just a blade punching through their throat and her moving on. Looking around, Ruby was reminded of another battle filled with Garleans._

" _Hydaelyn," Ruby prayed, "Please,_ _ **please**_ _..."_

 _Maybe Hydaelyn heard her, maybe it was just luck, but the clouds covering the moon rolled out of the way, making the area just bright enough to see a group of soldiers standing around a few revolutionaries. Ruby stomped into the ground, launching forward as the ground behind her scattered._

 _An angry cry rose up as she saw Y'shtola collapsed on the ground, the white of her outfit stained red from a deep cut in her chest._

 _ **Oh, those motherfuckers… don't hold back. Don't you fucking**_ _ **dare-**_

 _Ruby roared, swinging her swords forward. Two of the Garlean consumed by the abyssal flames in seconds before she grabbed the next, smashing him into the fourth. The leader, a redhead with green eyes and a purple tattoo on her face, had just enough time to lift the buckler on her wrist up to block the attack, dry sand exploding beneath their feet, "What-?"_

" _Get away from her," Ruby growled, swinging one plated knee up and into the Garlean's stomach. Red splattered outward in the shape of an X as Ruby's blades finished their path. Kicking the Garlean away, Ruby rushed to Y'shtola's side, familiar algorithms swirling through her head, "Shtola! Shtola! Physick, Physick! Krile, get over here!_ _ **Physick**_ _!"_

 _Slowly, the heavy bleeding staunched itself as pain spiked though Ruby, the loss of Aether eating at her. Shaking her head, Ruby turned, looking for a still living Garlean._

 _She found it, in the worst way possible._

 _Striding through the flames, blood dripping off one gauntlet, was a man in Garlean Legatus armor, a crowned gasmask staring at her. On one hip was an oversized magitek sheath holding three katanas. It whirled, rotating so he could draw one with a red flecked blade. Ruby stood up, growling as her swords lept into her hand._

" _We managed to stabilize Meffrid, bu-" Alphinaud started as he jogged to join Ruby, "Oh, gods, Y'shtola!"_

" _I've got her!" Krile said, jogging around her underclassmen, "Curaga! Curaga! Cur-"_

" _I'll get you out, Lys-" Alphinaud started, only for the Ala Mhigan to shake her head._

" _Don't! Worry about Y'shtola first!"_

" _You," Ruby growled, continuing towards the Legatus despite the vertigo still swirling around her body from Aether loss, "You hurt Y'shtola."_

" _Y'shtola?" his tone was dispassionate, like he was walking through a garden, "Yes, I suppose I did."_

 _ **He hurt your charge, he sacrificed his right to live. If you're an actual Dark Knight, you won't let this son of a Garlean who-**_

 _Ruby hit the button on her left gauntlet, opening a compartment and yanking out the blue scale shaped gem embedded within. Slotting in a steel grey one with a bisected circle carved into the surface, Ruby felt her body resonate with the crystal._

" _Those blades," the Legatus said, "I recognize them… those are the blades of Noah Van Gabranth, are they not?"_

" _What if they are?" Ruby asked, splitting the swords apart again._

" _It's quite simple really," he said, "The last known location of those blades following their theft… was with the Warrior of Light."_

" _So?"_

" _So, if those are his blades," he continued, "then the woman before me is the slayer of eikons,_

 _Eorzea's vaunted hammer who, with nothing but a small group of mercenaries, broke every Castrum within Eorzea, and then met Gaius Van Bellisar in single combat and won."_

 _Ruby chose that moment to make her move, red swords of crystalized Aether forming from the air around her and launching at the Legatus. Ruby heard a barely audible sigh as he moved. His sword danced, a lattice of steel as he deflected each blade. Moving forward, Ruby stabbed her swords forward, launching a series of black cuts all along his torso._

 _The air waved in front of her eyes, leaving Ruby barely capable of dodging the sword swing the Legatus sent for her. Seven hells, was she_ _ **that**_ _out of practice in healing spells?_

 _Ruby dodged the next swing, mind running through more algorithms, a ball of Aetheric energy forming above them. Dodging the next slash, Ruby swung her arm down, the deathflare… well, flaring bright, before winking out._

 _Brilliant. She was gonna spend the next three weeks doing nothing but casting healing spells and reading Louisoix's grimoires… assuming they survived this._

 _Ruby did the only thing that seemed logical in this situation, lashed out with a kick, hitting the large, weighty object ruining the Legatus's center of balance. Namely, his sheath._

 _Watching him stagger, Ruby threw a series of punches, grasping the abyss and using it to enhance the blows as far as she could, blasting him back against the canyon wall. After a minute, he stood and gave a chuckle, "Lupis! Pick yourself up, we're leaving."_

" _But, sir!" the leader of the squad said, curling around her wounds, "They're healin-"_

" _Let them," the Legatus ordered, "tis of little consequence. As for you, Warrior of Light, I can see you're clearly far from top form. Next time we meet, I want it to be the type of clash they sing songs about, the type of battle that causes the gods themselves to tremble!"_

 _Ruby stood there as the Legatus marched out, Lupis on his heels, before her body gave up. Sinking to her knees, Ruby crawled her way to Y'shtola's side, "Is she… is she alright?"_

" _Yes," Krile said, "Your quick use of Physick might have very well saved her life. If not that, then you at least sped up how long it will take for her to recover._

" _That's… good to hear…" Ruby said, tears pricking her eyes as she sank into the mire of sleep._

\- X **Y'shotla** X-

Y'shtola's eyes drifted to the side on instinct as Ruby gave a slight whimper in her sleep. Shifting on the chair she was seated in, she generally wrapped Ruby's hand in her own, muttering a few words under her breath. Ruby's tension fled swiftly, the lines of her face becoming less pronounced.

When she was like this, she almost looked her physical age. Any time Ruby could grasp onto something to take her mind off the weight of the world constantly riding on her shoulders, she looked that way…

It was the same for any of the original Archons, and Ruby was included in that, by the Twelve, of the Circle of Knowing. Even with the spell Louisoix had guided them through to grind their aging to a halt, they could often pass for disturbingly close to their actual age as the weight of their task crushed them. Though some, namely Urianger, had found ways to get the same point across without looking ready to die from stress.

It also made it impossible to tell if Ruby had aged in the five years she had been shifted out of Hydaelyn by Louisoix or not. Didn't really matter, she supposed.

Gently letting go of Ruby's hand, Y'shtola stepped out of the room, making her way across the hall and, after a minute of fumbling, opened it. Note to self, find another spell to let her see without risking death. In the thousands of years of various fields of magical study, there had to have been one spell created for that purpose.

Stepping into the room, Y'shtola activated her stopgap spell, looking around. Blake was leaning against the window, looking bored, "Can I help you?"

"Oh!" Blake jerked around, "Sorry I just… I'm bored is all. My books are in me and… they're in my room."

"And you don't wish to chance a confrontation," Y'shtola said, "I'll move past it, try to see if I can't catch sound from him. Do you have any particular book you want?"

"No."

"Then if I don't hear him, I'll grab one," Y'shtola said, turning and walking down the train cart, ears twitching at each sound before finally coming to a halt at the rough location of Blake's compartment.

"No, I don't know where she is," a gruff voice snapped, "If I did, I wouldn't be asking you if she'd called, would I?"

Y'shtola muttered a spell, leaning against the wall between Blake's room and the next and stilled her breathing.

"Of course we're keeping with the plan," the man said, "if we find her on the train, everything continues. If we don't … well, that makes things easier, then I'll track her down, she can't have gone far."

Y'shtola watched the red haired man stepped out of the compartment, stowing something in a pocket as his eyes passed over her without noticing. Turning away, he walked down the halls and disappeared down to the lower floor.

After making sure he wasn't returning, Y'shtola slipped into the room. Grabbing the smaller of the two bags, she grabbed the first book she found tucking it under her arm… and did something ingrained from years of living with one Ruby Rose.

She grabbed the bed's covers, pulling them up and looking under it. Pressed flush against the wall was a sword in a magitek sheath. Reaching out, she plucked the magazine out of it, hiding it within the folds of her coat and stood up, sliding out the room and back towards their room. It was time to find out precisely how much of a resonance between Dust and Crystals.

Y'shtola stopped as her stomach rumbled, reaching up, she pressed her and against the linkpearl, "Lyse, Alisaie?"

"Hey!" Lyse said cheerfully, "What's up?"

"I wanted to know if you wanted to get something to eat."

"Sure!"

"I'm quite peckish myself, actually," Alisaie said, "I'd be more than willing."

"Good," Y'shtola said, "I'll meet you there, I have a couple of things I need to drop off with our guest and Ruby."

\- X **Y'mhitra** X-

 _Y'mhitra ran forward as she caught sight of her older sister's hair, a wide grin on her face, "Shtola!"_

" _Oof!" Y'shtola staggered forward, nearly bumping into the person she had been speaking to as Y'mhitra collided with her back, "What in the-? Mhitra? What are you doing here?"_

" _Hi," Y'mhitra grinned, doing her best to hang off Y'shtola's back._

" _Hello," Y'shtola said, twisting around so she could pluck the young Miqo'te off of her back and place her onto the ground, "Now, what are you doing here?"_

" _Father convinced my mother to allow me to come to the Moonfire Faire!" Y'mhitra said, "He said you would take care of me!"_

" _He did, did he?"_

" _Did I forget to send the letter?" Y'rhul asked, picking his way around the faire goers._

" _Hello, Father," Y'shtola said, "You did."_

" _Azeyma," the white haired man sighed, "I'm sorry, is it too much to ask of you to take care of your sister for the next few days? It was a long journey, and-"_

" _Tis fine," Y'shtola said, "Ruby and I were going to go down to the faire with her little brother shortly anyways."_

" _This is Ruby, I take it?" Y'rhul asked, looking over Y'mhitra head._

" _Uh… Yes," the girl Y'shtola had been talking to nodded, "You're Y'rhul, right?"_

 _Y'mhitra felt her mouth drop as Ruby said her father's name. It was slight, but she was just capable of picking up the hiss you would expect from a Miqo'te where the apostrophe was._

" _Yes," Y'rhul said with a smirk, before facing growing tight, "Shtola, if I could talk to you alone for a minute?"_

" _I need to change anyways," Ruby shrugged, turning towards the house they were standing in front of and opening the door, "Than! We're heading out soon, get ready!"_

 _Y'mhitra looked between her father and sister, before ducking inside the building. Twitching her ears towards the door, she sat down and began to listen in._

" _So that's her?" Y'rhul asked, sounding amused._

" _Father…"_

" _I'm not angry," Y'rhul said, "not as much as your grandfather is. He was on a warpath when I told him to burn that contract, ranted and raved for hours how letting you live with a Hyur was going to be the downfall of our people, and how dare Matoya corrupt you to following Hyur standards."_

" _What happened?"_

" _...You know your master, do you not? She struck him."_

" _She did?"_

" _Oh, indeed. In plain view of the entire tribe. She started beating him with that staff of hers until two of the other Nunh had to pull her off him. After that, there was a sudden lack of desire to bring up the topic amongst the ranks. She does care about you, even if she is beyond abrasive about it, Shtola. Don't worry about my father, I'm sure mentioning that she says Miqo'te names like she is of our kind will calm him down."_

" _...Thank you, Father."_

" _Change happens," Y'rhul voice carried the shrug, "I was not aware who sired me until I was your age, when I discovered it in the most traumatic way possible."_

 _What was that?_

" _Thank you for that image," Y'shtola gagged._

" _I-"_

" _Ruby!" a boy around Y'mhitra's age called out as he stepped down the stairs in a pair of swim trunks, "Louisoix says to pack some gil!"_

" _Already did," Ruby said, stepping out in a black Cascadier two piece, "He's not coming?"_

" _He said he'd meet us there," the white haired boy said, turning, and jumped back with a startled yelp, "Who-?"_

" _Y'shtola's sister," Ruby said, opening the door, "Shtola? Ready to head over to your place?"_

" _Uhhhh…" Y'shtola said without answering._

" _Yes," Y'rhul said, "I'll be there to pick Mhitra in a few days."_

" _See you then," Y'shtola said, not taking her eyes off Ruby._

\- X **Y'shtola** X-

Y'shtola slid the door to Ruby's room shut, sure Ruby would see the note directing her to look under the bed for Adam's magazine… and admonishing her for somehow smuggling three weapons onto the train. A feat that boggled Y'shtola's mind as they had gotten on the train together and she had been certain Ruby hadn't had them in their carry on.

Y'shtola frowned, eyes trailing back. Ruby had grown… different… since Y'shtola had been trapped in the Lifestream. She wouldn't have felt the need to carry that many weapons, before Ilberd betrayed them. The spell that allowed her to draw Chaos Blade and Highway Star to her would have been enough.

And speaking of the conjoined blades, they had been suspiciously missing from the set of weapons. While Ruby had become skilled with a fair few weapons through attuning with soul crystals, the swords had become something of a signature for her.

Part of the change had been, no doubt, the result of Lord Greystone's death shortly before her retrieval. Ruby had taken to having arguments with herself under her breath, to using Void magic and generally seeming to be beaten down. Something compounded even further by Iceheart's death.

"Azey-" Y'shtola started, before switching tracks, "Hydaelyn, please… keep her safe…"

Nothing. Unlike Ruby, Y'shtola clearly wasn't on speaking terms with the Mothercrysal.

Y'shtola stepped into the dining car, walked over to where Lyse and Alisaie were sitting, "Hello."

"Hey!" Lyse said with a smile, "About time you got up!"

"It's going to make coordinating anything a bit difficult," Alisaie said, "Us sleeping at random hours."

"I don't think we'll have to worry about that," Y'shtola said, "Listen…"

\- X **Y'mhitra** X-

 _Y'mhitra looked up from her small garden as footsteps approached, a relieved sigh rising up as she pushed herself to her feet, "Ruby! And…?"_

" _Alphinaud Leveilleur,'" the white haired boy said with a bow._

" _Oh!" Y'mhitra said, "Of course! It's been so long I didn't even recognize you!"_

" _I'm… sorry, if we met, I don't recall," Alphinaud said._

" _It was once," Ruby said, "Back when you were, literally, still in diapers, Mhitra stopped by one day when me and Shtola were watching you and Alisaie for your parents during one of their trips."_

" _You were quite fixated with Shtola and mine's tails. It was adorable, in hindsight."_

" _Hindsight?"_

" _She was a little kid," Ruby said, "and you were pulling on her tail. It wasn't adorable when it hurt. Why do you think I wore my hair short until you were, like, three?"_

" _I didn't know I did that!" Alphinaud defended._

" _Anyroads, what can I do for you? Not anything to do with Egi, I assume?"_

" _Something a lot more important," Ruby said._

" _Which is…?"_

" _Shtola's… she's in trouble, and you might be our only chance of getting her out of it."_

" _Why? What happened?" Y'mhitra frowned, leaning against the fence around her garden._

" _She… She cast Flow," Ruby said, "Do you know that spell?"_

" _I can't say I do," Y'mhitra said._

" _It's an old spell," Ruby said, "I won't tell you the specifics because the Forum tends to get grumpy when someone finds out about it, but it left her trapped in the Lifestream. We need someone close to her to drag her out of the Lifestream."_

" _Then why can't you do it?"_

" _It needs to be someone close to her."_

 _In her twenty six years of life, not once had Y'mhitra met someone more oblivious to the affections of another person than Ruby Rose was to her sister's._

" _Alright, what do you need me to do?"_

" _We're heading to the center of the Twelveswood," Ruby said, "Kan-E will do the rest."_

 _\- X_ _ **Ruby**_ _X -_

 _Ruby stepped into the clearing where Kan-E-Senna was waiting with a group of Wood Wailers and two young te-_

 _No, wait, horns, they were padjal._

" _This is Lady Y'shtola's sister then?" Kan-E said._

" _Yes," Y'mhitra bowed slightly, "Y'mhitra, tis a pleasure to meet you, and you have my thanks for your assistance-"_

" _Nonsense," Kan-E said, "We of Gridania owe Y'shtola and the Scions a debt of gratitude. Might I introduce you to my younger siblings, Raya-O and A-Ruhn?"_

 _The two padjal bowed back, their red hair sweeping forward with the move, "Tis a pleasant to meet you."_

" _Same," Ruby said with a quick smile, "Not to be rude, but can we hurry this up? We need to get Shtola out of Lifestream quickly."_

" _It isn't rude to guide someone," Kan-E said, "You're quite right, Lady Y'shtola's life hangs in the balance, pleasantries can and should wait. Raya-O, A-Rhun, we shall begin."_

 _The three siblings gathered in a loose circle, staves held into the air so they met in the center. Slowly, A-Rhun and Raya-O began to chant in another language. When Kan-E joined in, Ruby felt a rush of Aether as their staves glowed, "_ _ **Hearken to me, O Great Ones! A drifting-"**_

 _Before Ruby's eyes flashed Hydaelyn's crystal, a blonde woman in a white dress before it. Blue eyes flicked open, staring at her._

" _Minfilia?" Ruby asked, voice strangled._

" _Yes," the Scions' leader said, "But it isn't me you're looking for…"_

 _What? "Of course we're looking for you! We're-"_

" _Let me rephrase that, you aren't looking for me at the moment," Minfilia said, reaching out and grabbing a stream of light that flew by them, cupping it carefully, "That would be this."_

" _Is that-?" Ruby started before Minfilia and Hydaelyn disappeared, leaving the ball shining in the fleeing darkness._

" _It must be!" Alphinaud said as something became visible in the light._

" _Stay back!" Kan-E called, "We have her, yes, but we could still lose her! The Lifestream will not give up its prize so easily!_ _ **Great Ones, draw her from the-**_

 _A wave of Aether rushed out of Y'shtola, sending every member of the group except for Kan-E the leader of the gathered Wood Wailers and Ruby flying back, but even then, Ruby was left digging the clawed gauntlets of her armor into the earth, "Kan-E?"_

" _I almost… have… her…!" Kan-E grunted as several more waves of Aether lashed at them, "There!"_

 _The light exploded outward, leaving Y'shtola hovering in air… before she tipped forward, plummeting towards the ground._

 _Ruby launched forward, throwing herself under Y'shtola and gently guiding her to the ground…_

 _And then she noticed that Y'shtola was missing her clothes._

 _She was pretty sure she could hear the malevolent laughter of her patron in her head as she scrambled to pull off her cloak, generally wrapped Y'shtola in it and marched past Y'mhitra to turn Alphinaud around, "Wha-? Ruby!"_

" _You don't need to see that Alph," Ruby said._

" _But!"_

" _Trust me."_

\- X **Adam** X-

Adam's grip of Wilt and Blush grew tight, a growl rising up for the fourth time in ten minutes as several heavy thunks came from behind. Someone on this train had stolen from him.

"Sir?" Adam looked back, taking the offered mask and sliding it over his face as a yell of pain came from one White Fang member who missed failed to finish the climb and crashed into the tunnel wall as they sloped down, "Orders?"

"Amitola, find Blake take her mask," Adam said, "The rest of you, with me. I want this over with quickly."

\- X **AN** X-

Someone asked what Adam was up to, well... show of hands, who's seen Baccano before?

Also, feel free to ask about Seeker of the Sun culture, because I didn't want to infodump, but am aware it's a bit vague from Y'rhul and Y'shtola conversation.

And still I continue my goal of getting a recommendation on TV Tropes.

Thoughts on the Chapter? Good? Bad? Meh?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapters for this fic, like Walking the Planes (Shameless self promotion, ho!) might be shorter from now on. Sorry if there was a dip in quality, I'm dealing with a psychological meltdown

\- X **Ilia** X-

Ilia slid into the train, eyes scanning the cart. What did Adam expect her to do, barge into every room looking for Blake?

Who was she kidding? That was exactly what Adam wanted her to do. What was that compared to raiding a train for its Dust when they were in the undersea tunnel between Sanus and Anima?

Before Ilia could answer that question, the soft sound of crying came from behind her. Ilia's skin flashed pale as she jumped, spinning to look at the child standing behind her. Slowly, Ilia put away her weapon, "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry," the boy(?) sobbed, rubbing at his eyes, "I'm so, so sorry…"

Uh… What?

"Hey…" Ilia said, searching her mind for what to say to the little kid that had just started blubbering out of nowhere, "It's alright, you didn't do anything-"

"Ilia?"

Ilia froze on place as a voice she was sure she would never hear again called out to her. No, no, no, that wasn't possible-

"I'm sorry," the kid said again as the lights flickered off and back on.

"Alright," Ilia muttered, standing up and quickly drawing her weapon, "This isn't turning into a horror movie or something, it's just-"

"Ilia, come here, your father's waiting for you!"

Ilia considered running for a moment, just turning and bolting for the exit. This wasn't possible, it was some sort of hallucination, here parents were dead, they had been-

"Ilia, is something wrong?" her mother asked, poking her head out of the room for the first time, showing that yes, she was there and yes, she looked exactly like Ilia remembered, "What-? Why are you wearing that mask? You know how dangerous it is to pretend to be with the Fang!"

Ilia wanted to protest, to argue that without the Fang, things would be worse, but they caught in her throat. Instead, she reached up with a shaky hand and took off the mask. Looking up, she watched a smile bloom on her mother's face, "Sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about," Nila Amitola said, "Come on, your father's waiting…"

Ilia stood, walking into the compartment… and immediately being smashed into a wall by an explosion of wind. Spinning the moment it let up, Ilia watched the blue-green _thing_ dodge over her whip, barely noticing her mother's disappearance as she lashed out again, hitting the creature this time and sending a jolt of lightning through it. The thing exploded, reforming into a woman made of ice that floated towards Ilia, "What the-?"

Ilia didn't finish that thought as something crashed into her back, causing her to reach back and rip a stone head off a large golem… and watch her arm freeze as the woman a deep breath.

"What's-?"

"I'm sorry," Ilia's head snapped to the left on instinct, meeting the boy's eyes as a knight holding a sword raised it, "But this is the end. We'll speak when you wake up."

The last thing Ilia felt before her Aura shattered was ice crawling up her body and the golem delivering several harsh punches to her side. By the time the knight moved forward, she was barely conscious.

\- X **Fray** X-

"You should have let me do that from the beginning," Fray said, hefting the girl up and carelessly tossing her onto Lyse's bed…

And jumping as Myste somehow succeeded in pinching his side. Turning, the lower half of his face, the part not covered by the copy of Ruby's dragon helm, curved into a snarl, "What was that for?"

"If you had stepped into the fray-"

"Is that a shitty pun?"

"-You would have merely beat her to death."

"So?"

"So she doesn't deserve it, trust me."

"She's a terrorist."

" _You're_ technically a terrorist," Myste pointed out, hands hovering over the girl the bloody wound knitting itself together and the raw skin where the Shiva Egi froze her healing, "as is Sidurgu."

" _...Damn It,"_ Fray finally sighed, unable to cast aside the fragments of memory associated with the real Fray Myste, "So what's next? You gonna tell me the others are also misguided souls, ripe for redemption?"

"Many are misguided," Myste confirmed, pausing at Fray's growl, "but many of those are too far gone, do as you will."

"Good," Fray said, hefting Cronus onto his shoulder and throwing open the door, "You hold down the fort here, brat, I'll be back."

Stepping out of the room, Fray slid into the Void, using it to speed up his journey to the closest White Fang member. Stepping out of it, his eyes settled upon the woman pinned another to the wall, undoing a button on their top, "Well, well, well… isn't this rather indecent?"

"What the-?" the masked woman stepped back, drawing a khopesh off her back and pulling a bayoneted revolver from her hip. Fray raised a hand, abyssal energy creating a half shell in front of him that halted the shots. After five shots, the woman lowered her gun, pointing it at the human, "Sto- stop or I'll-"

"You'll what?" Fray asked, reached out with the abyss and finding a pair of scars along her back. The energy wormed into them, unmending the tissue.

"I'll… I'll…" the Faunus lowered her gun further, looking back, "Wha-?"

Fray launched forward with a laugh, driving his mail clad shoulder into her gut and smashing her away from the human. Stopping for a second, Fray glanced, "Get out of here. GO!"

"R- Right," the human nodded, scrambling away. Fray growled as a bullet struck void formed steel, turning back to the shaking Faunus, Fray walked towards them.

"You know," he drawled, "Most people would be more worried about the blood spilling out their back…"

"Fu- fuck you!" she snapped, trying to insert a speed loader with her blood splattered hand. Fray rolled his eyes, swinging the sword down and killing her.

On to the next target…

\- X **Lyse** X-

Lyse looked up as a group of six men and women walked in, tensing, "Don't look now…"

Alisaie looked up before giving a displeased grunt, "It appears you were correct, Y'shtola. Shall we?"

"Sounds good," Lyse said as the lead man fired his gun in the air.

"Alright," he said, "Nobody play hero, nobody gets hurt-"

Lyse silently held up five fingers as the men stepped by. Five.

Alisaie put her book on the table, flipping it to a page. Four.

Y'shtola closed her eyes, hands clenching. Three.

Lyse coiled herself inward, planting her feet on the bench she was on. Two.

A crystal sword rose from Alisaie's Grimoire, landing in her hand as she stood up. One.

Go.

"Aeroga!" Y'shtola called, locking two of the men in a twister of wind that cut into them at the same time Lyse lept over it, landing in front of the bandit and grabbing the leader by the head.

"Hi!" Lyse said with a grin, swinging his head down to collide with her knee. The mask shattered against it, sending him reeling back with shards of porcelain in his face. Dodging around the axe swing from the other, Lyse hyperextended his arm, driving her elbow into it so it shattered. Sweeping his foot out, Lyse stomped on his face as she leapt into the air to drive her foot into the face of the leader, driving the shards further in.

Alisaie's sword cut through one of her two bandits' neck, before bisecting the other one, "You two go get Ruby, I'll stay here and defend these people from any others who come."

"Right," Lyse nodded, "Come on, Y'shtola."

\- X **Blake** X-

Blake looked outside the room as there was a scream of fear. Watching the pair of White Fang members pass through the train with a pair of guns.

Oh, Dust. What had Adam done? What had he done?

Looking across the hall, Blake took a deep breath and dashed across the open space throwing open the door to Ruby's room and sliding inside. Shutting the door and fumbling with the lock, she stopped as she saw something.

A little… boy, she thought? Sitting next to Lyse's bed with Ilia tucked under the blankets, "Uh… hi?"

"Hello," they said, "it's nice to meet you."

Well, this was rapidly crawling up the list of surreal things to happen in the last few days.

"Who… uh… who are you?"

"I am Myste," they said, "Ruby's… child, I suppose."

What.

"Really?'" Blake said, voice dry.

"It isn't quite right," Myste said, "But it is the closest I can get for our relationship."

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

"What's Ilia doing there?" Blake asked, feeling slightly caged.

"I restrained her so she would not be a danger," Myste said, "We can wake her when the battle has past. Ruby, it's time to wake up…"

"What's goin' on?" Ruby grumbled.

"The White Fang are attacking-" Before Blake could finish, Ruby swung her feet off the edge of the bed, planting them on the ground with a heavy thud.

"You know how to use a sword like this?" Ruby said, pulling a katana out from under her bed.

"Yes," Blake caught the sword as Ruby grabbed a pair of swords that appeared in a burst of black fire.

"Come on," Ruby said, "It's time for you to prove Hydaelyn's trust in you, kid."

\- X **Ruby** X-

Ruby grabbed a masked man by the throat, ignoring the gurgle as she punched Chaos Blade through his chest, right in the heart, without pausing. Throwing aside the body, Ruby continued on the way, glancing back at Blake, "Hurry up, you're making me do all the work."

"How can you kill all these people so easily?" Blake asked as she jogged to keep up with Ruby, Kanesada still sheathed.

"I'm a warrior," Ruby said, opening the door between two cars, only to look back as Blake stopped, "What?"

"This is my room," Blake said, "I want to get my sword."

"Fine," Ruby said as Blake slipped into the compartment, only for a man to run out of the cart in front of her. He gave a confused squawk as he caught sight of Ruby.

"What-? But you were-?" He pointed towards the door then at Ruby, "What-?"

"Just keep going," Ruby waved him on, before stepping into the cart. Standing in the center of a poll of blood, Cronus piercing the dismembered torso in front of them, was a red eyed copy of Ruby, "What are you doing out?"

"Hi, mom," Fray said, rolling her eyes dismissively. Ruby's hand jerked up for a missing gun, making her wish she had grabbed Deathlocke, "Oooh, scary. You know, while you've been napping, I've stopped two rapes and six murders?"

"Shut up," Ruby snapped, pointing at Fray, "Get out of here."

"Fine, fine," Fray waved, drawing Cronus from its macabre sheath, "I think there's still some members on the roof."

"I meant, get back in my head," Ruby snarled.

"Pass," Ruby growled as Fray vanished in a puff of black smoke, leaving her trying to grab air.

"Get back here!"

"What's going on?" Blake asked, stepping into the car and stopping, "Did you do that?"

"I don't play with my enemies' bodies," Ruby said, "I'm a warrior, not a sadist."

But Fray was. Ruby liked to fight, and Fray took that to its logical conclusion.

"So there's someone who can rip White Fang members apart," Blake said, "grea-"

"Ruby?" Ruby whirled, meeting the blue eyes of Jaune Arc, "That's your name, right? Ruby?"

"Hey, kid," Ruby nodded.

"Whose this?" Blake asked.

"Jaune," Ruby muttered, "another chosen of Hydaelyn."

\- X **Blake** X-

Blake turned towards Jaune, watching him. This dweeby guy was a chosen of Hydaelyn? Why?

"Uh, Hydrogen?" Jaune said, tilting his head.

"Hydaelyn," Ruby said, voice gruff, "I'll explain later. Come on, Blake, we don't have time to waste."

"Wait!" Jaune said, raising an arm, "listen, I'm confu-"

Before Jaune could finish, the train ground to a halt, sending Jaune sprawling to the ground as Blake went to all fours and Ruby swung her arm out and planted it on the wall. All three stayed in their position for a long moment as the entire train shook, before an eerie silence overtook the train as the rumbling that had become omnipresent over the last few days finally disappeared.

"Whud was dad?" Jaune asked from his place on the ground.

"If I had to guess," Ruby said, twirling her conjoined blades as she stabilized herself, "We don't have a conductor anymore…"

"Whud?" Jaune pushed himself up, revealing a steady flow of blood down his face, "Whud happen' do dem?"

"They're dead," Ruby said, turning to Jaune, "Here, hold still, this might sting a bit."

"Whud-? Ah!" Jaune recoiled from the touch, "dad hurd!"

"It's broken," Ruby tutted, "Hold still for a second-"

"Can' we waid for a docdor?" Jaune asked.

"I am a passable healer," Ruby said, "but if you really want to wait for us to find Shtola, we can. Keep your head down."

"Why?" Jaune asked.

"Because drowning in your own blood is a bad way to go," Ruby said.

"Is dad possible?" Jaune asked.

"Not super," Ruby said, "but better safe than sorry, eh? Blake, keep his head down, I'm gonna go check the nex-"

Before Ruby could finish, a White Fang member came crashing through the doorway, flying towards them as if he was launched through it.

Ruby, without even blinking, swung her arm down, the metal gauntlet impacting his chest and smashing him into the ground hard enough to dent it and cave his chest in like paper mache, "Nevermind."

"Hey!" Lyse said, strolling into the room with a grin, "You're awake! We were looking for you!"

"Shtola," Ruby said, "Jaune needs to be healed."

"Oh, sure," Lyse groused, "Ignore me!"

"How many more are on the train?" Ruby asked Lyse as Y'shtola pressed her fingers on Jaune's nose, energy rising off her hand.

"Only, like, four."

"Three and the leader?" Ruby said.

"Yep."

"Let's end this," Ruby said, swinging her swords around.

"Sounds good," Lyse said, cracking her fingers.

"I'm coming too," Blake said, "I need to."

"You sure?" Ruby asked.

"Ye-" Blake was cut off at the screams from the dining car, "Oh, no…"

"Move!" Ruby barked as the group of five rushed towards the room.

\- X **Ruby** X-

Ruby was the first into the cart, pushing herself to the brink of her body as she blurred forward. Fray let out a laugh as Ruby moved, "Shut up."

Why? I- oh…

Ruby growled as she caught sight of the man towering over Alisaie three dead bodies around her, body checking him and carrying away from the red mage as he went. The man skidded to a halt, turning to them, "What-?"

"Stay away from her," Ruby snarled, voice distorting as she summoned Kanesada, lowering her center of mass as she gripped the katana. The red headed man scoffed, gripping his chokutō.

Time seemed to slow down, as it always did when adrenaline started to flow, and Ruby launched herself forward, drawing Kanesada at the same time as the red head.

Ruby felt the blade bite into her side, flecks of almost black blood scattering before the wound sealed itself shut at the same moment the man was struck by her _higanbana_. Ruby turned in place as the man landed in front of Alisaie, his sword angled down, "No!"

"Oi!" The man looked up in time to take a kick in the face by Lyse, sending him flying back towards Ruby as Lyse landed between him and Alisaie, "Stay away from her!"

"She killed," the man staggered up, his mask cracked, "she killed my men!"

"And you people attacked this train," Ruby said, launching five Aether blades at the man, who turned, drawing his sword partially from the sheath and absorbing each one.

"You all deserve this!" he snapped, lowering himself again, "You humans think you're so much better than me!"

Ruby brought up her sword in turn, eyes growing wide as Kanesada shattered against the chokutō. Several shards of metal tore into her, causing more black blood to roll out and harden as the man's mask was knocked off by the blast, revealing brown eyes.

Ruby jumped back, black flames flying from her fists and towards the man. He brought up the sword, absorbing the black fire.

"Adam!" Blake called, "Adam, stop! Please, you're being irrational!"

"Blake?" Adam said, turning towards her, "What-? You're siding with _them_?"

"Adam," Blake repeated, " _Please_."

" _You_!" Adam roared, swinging his sword at Blake and releasing a shockwave that blasted Lyse back, ripped apart the metal of the car and shattering the windows. Y'shtola dove between Blake and Adam, throwing up her Aetherial Pulse. The shell of Aether shook as Lyse landed on the wall, kicking off and launching back at Adam, " _Traitor_! I took you into my bed, I loved you!"

"You've got a really weird way of showing that," Ruby rasped, summoning the Chaos Blade and Highway Star to her hand as Lyse flew towards Adam, foot extended and fire coiling around her.

Adam's attempt to block Lyse's kick unleashed another wave of force, but had another effect.

It pushed him backward, into the Chaos Blade and Highway Star. Energy rippled around the blow for a moment, before giving out against the force Ruby applied and sending red blood splattering out.

Adam turned, attempting to draw his sword even as Ruby's grip her the Chaos Blade remained tight, opening the wounds further. With her other hand, Ruby latched onto the side of Adam's face, meeting his hate filled gaze.

Then she blasted him with abyssal flames, watching him crumple to the ground with a black hand shaped mark on his face. Blake let put a sob, rushing past Y'shtola to Adam's side, reaching down to cradle him.

For a second, Ruby flashed back to the end of a different relationship, red haired was replaced with light blue, brown eyes with blue again, and burning hatred with sadness. Slowly, Ruby reached down to touch Blake's arm, "I'm sorry, I know what this is like-"

"How?" Blake demanded.

"Outside the city of Ishgard," Ruby said, voice still soft, "There's a grave to a man named Haurchefant Greystone. He was someone I loved more than anyone… and he died protecting me."

"Oh," Blake said, voice cracking, "Oh…"

"Blake," Ruby said, "let it out…"

Ruby caught the sobbing girl, cradling her gently and hiding the discomfort from her face.

"I don't mean to make light of this," Y'shtola said, "but we have a lot of civilians currently in this tunnel, we need to get them to safety."

"Yeah," Blake nodded, kissing Adam on the forehead and taking his sword, "Yeah."

"Uh…" everyone focused on Jaune, "What about bags and stuff?"

"Those can wait," Ruby said.

"I'm gonna go get Ilia and Myste," Blake said, causing Ruby to freeze up.

"Who?" Lyse asked.

"Ilia's a friend of mine," Blake said.

"Yeah, but whose the other one?"

"Myste? Blue hair? Hard to tell the gender?" Blake continued, "Ruby's 'child'?"

"What?" Lyse said, "Ruby doesn't have a kid named Myste!"

"Uh…" Ruby shrugged, "don't know what you're talking about Blake."

"I'll go get them," Blake said, "You get everyone else off the train."

\- X **?** X-

A pair of eyes jumped open as he sat up, a pool of partially congealed blood under him. Staggering upright, the man gripped two spots on his back, walking towards the lavatory, "Bloody hells, that is not comfortable."

He stopped, sniffing the air, "Did he soil himself? Disgusting! Got to find new clothe-" before he could finish, something above his hairline smacked into the door, "Buggery!"

The man staggered in, examining his body in the mirror, "I swear, once I get my own body back, I'm gonna hurtle this one off a cliff… hair is a bit short, in my opinion, but it will do for now."

He pushed off the table "Now, to figure out where our dear friend went.. after finding new clothes, of course...

\- X **AN** X-

Fun fact, if you go back, you can actually locate the exact moment when Jaune got onto the train.

Thoughts? Good? Bad? Meh?


	7. Chapter 7

Another smaller chapter. Sorry this took a bit to get out, really have no excuse beyond the standard. I will say an amusing realization got me to actually write it, though

\- X **Ruby** X-

Ruby grunted as she carried the unconscious, Au Ra… Faunus, she corrected herself, on her back, Lyse flitting in and out of shadows ahead of them. She might have scales, but that didn't make her an Au Ra, anymore than Blake was a Miqo'te. This wasn't Eorzea, it was Remnant.

 _I told you so_ , Fray muttered in her ear, _Eorzea is your home, the Warrior of Light was forged of it._

"Shut up," Ruby snarled under her breath, ignoring the strange looks from Blake and Y'shtola. She wasn't sure what made her angrier, that Fray wouldn't shut up about the topic, or the niggling knowledge that she was _right_. She didn't know the threats of Remnant, who had just attacked them…

 _You know who does_? Fray said, _The girl on your back and Blake. Let me out, we'll know in minutes…_

 _Don't_ , Myste said, _They don't deserve it, and they're too much like Minfilia-_

 _Useless in a fight? Aye, from what I saw, she's as useful as Jaune-_

 _Because if we had been forced to fight Haurchefant, Y'shtola and the Scions, you would be able to easily end their lives?_ Myste said, causing Fray to fall silent, _That's what I thought_.

 _Shut up, brat._

 _How creative of you_ , Myste snarked.

 _I will fucking slaughter you-_

 _Resorting to swearing, now?_

"Why's Ruby laughing like that?" Jaune asked from where he clutched Deathlocke, causing Ruby to realize she had started to cackle as Fray was harangued by Myste.

"Not sure," Alisaie said, limping along with him, one arm over his shoulder, "Want to let us in on what's so funny?"

"Don't worry about it," Ruby said.

"So no," Alisaie said, voice dry, before turning to one of the surviving train employees, "How far until the station?"

"Less than an hour?" He said, shifting from one foot to the other in discomfort.

"Good," Ruby said, "I don't- Oh, boy…"

From the shadows in front of Lyse skittered a pack of spiders the size of small dogs, red eyes staring as Ruby shrugged her package off her back and stepped forward.

"Arachnes," the man from the train breathed as twenty more spiders approached, "They like dark places, we normally just ram them-"

"What do we do?" Jaune asked.

"You watch her," Ruby said, tilting her head back towards Ilia, before snapping it forward, glowing red eyes meeting glowing red eyes as she steepled herself in the Void, black and purple flames coiling around her as she summoned Cronus to her, "And keep the civilians safe with Y'shtola and Alisaie, me and Lyse will take care of these things."

"I'm not useless," Alisaie said.

"I know," Ruby said, wrapping her off hand around Cronus, "But he is, so I need you ready to defend them if some get past us."

"Hey!" Jaune protested.

"What about me?" Blake asked from where she stood off to the side, still clutching her lover's sword, eyes puffy. The outright sobbing had long faded to silent tears, something Ruby could respect.

"If you want to fight," Ruby said, "Then fight, but you don't _need_ too.

"I want to," Blake said, drawing the chokutō in one hand and her katana in the other.

"Alright then," Ruby said, stepping forward so she was even with Lyse, who was dancing from one foot to the other, "On three?"

"On three," Lyse agreed, wind coiling around her fists, "One…"

"Two," Ruby said, black plate appearing around her.

"Three!" they cried as one, launching towards the spiders.

\- X **Lyse** X-

Lyse weaved around one spider leg, delivering a haymaker that shattered the carapace in an explosion of wind and black ichor. Jumping onto the dying spider, Lyse kicked off, leaving it to smash into the ground in an explosion of dust.

The Fist of Rhalgr was normally a double edged sword. It was the finest martial arts style in the world, conferring even a normal practitioner the ability to meet an Echo-blessed on even terms for a short time, befitting of techniques created by the worshippers of the Breaker of Worlds… and anyone who knew anything about the Fist knew that it was so. Entire styles, strategy and orders had been formed around circumventing the Fist.

During the Autumn War between Ala Mhigo and Gridania, The Grindanians, in the time between the battle of the Firesand Banks and the forming of the Eorzean Alliance, began a brutal war of attrition against the Fists, using the Twelvewoods to separate monks and eliminate them… and that was when the Elementals that ruled Twelvewoods didn't decide to take their own personal interest. When Lyse was a child, horror stories were told about how members of the Fists would suddenly be grabbed by roots and ripped underground, so quickly nobody could save them.

When the Eorzean Alliance had come to bare, things got worse. Thaumaturges, the worshipers of the twin gods of death and commerce Nald'thal, had summoned storms of fire on the Fists, flames eating them before they had time to enter battle.

Later, during the revolution against the last ruler of Ala Mhigo, the King of Ruin, he had formed an entire group around defeating the Fists that had sided against him. And the less to be said about the clash between Magitek and the Fists, the better.

But here, on Remnant, nobody knew the weaknesses of the Fist. Certainly not a bunch of dumb spiders..

Lightning crackled around Lyse's hand as she fell like a falling star, smashing into the Grimm in a shattered blast.

Ruby, not to be outdone, disappeared into the shadows, purple flames exploding and consuming several spiders on the fringe as even more were cast in purple light before disintegrating away. Letting go of Cronus, Ruby lunged forward, planting her hands on two Grimm and blasting them back in an explosion of Abyssal flames.

Blake joined in, a clone taking the mandibles to the throat as she drove her red sword into its side, yanking it along the Grimm until it was dead before pulling shifting her other sword into a gun and firing it into another. Oh boy, was Ruby gonna want that…

Y'shtola and Alisaie, despite their technical reservation to the support role of this fight, were still making their impact known. For Y'shtola, whose aethereal power had risen exponentially after her entrapment in the Lifestream, all it took was a few uttered words of 'Stone' to send parts of the group flipping and splattering the Grimm with a sickening crunch.

Alisaie was clutching her rapier/focus, launching blasts of fire, thunder, wind and stones with sweeping gestures, using Jaune as support. The civilians were standing there, Jaune included, mouths hanging open as the Scions ripped through the Grimm like Garlean chaff.

Finally, the last Grimm died to a combination of Lyse's Fist and Ruby's Corrupted version, crumbling it like paper between their attacks. Ruby shook her hand, Abyssal flames snuffing out as her armor disappeared.

"Come on," Ruby said, "Let's keep going."

\- X **Jaune** X-

The thing Jaune notices, in his own opinion, was probably the strangest thing. It was how the others walked.

Lyse walked like she was dancing, almost flowing from one step to another. Y'shtola walked carefully, like each step was a test of the ground before her. And Ruby.

Well, Ruby walked like an Atlesian mech. Heavy, sure steps, like whatever was in front of her, weather that be air or a brick wall, was responsible for getting out of the way.

Considering the amount of carnage she had unleashed over the past couple of hours, Jaune wasn't sure if he could really say it wasn't a good way to think.

Like, Jaune had known Huntsman were strong, but ripping apart trains? Blowing up swords? Shattering Grimm with their bare hands? That was a level he hadn't thought of.

How was he supposed to compare to that? How was he ever supposed to get that strong?

Maybe he could ask Ruby? Someone that strong had to be able to help him somehow. And she had used, like, four weapons in the time he had seen her. Maybe she knew how to use a sword and shield too?

"Hey, Ruby?" Jaune said

"What's up, kid?" Ruby asked.

"I'm not that much younger-"

"She's older than you think," Alisaie said.

What.

"Ok, then," Jaune drawled. What did that mean? How much older? "I have a question to ask you when we get there."

"Good to know," Ruby grunted, "How much longer till we get there?"

"About twenty minutes?" the leader of the train civilian said.

"Right," Ruby said, "Good to hear. I got something to talk to you about too, Kids."

"Kids?" Jaune asked.

"You and Blake," Ruby said.

\- X **Blake** X-

Blake grew tense as a pair of guns were pushed in Ruby's face. They were on the older side, with the stock being made of wood and slightly scratched barrels. How would Ruby react to-?

"You two mind putting the guns a bit lower?" Ruby said, voice amicable, "I don't mind being shot, but would prefer if it wasn't in the face, ya know?"

"Who are you people?" the Huntsman with scruffy brown hair and a T shirt growled, pressing the gun into Ruby's cheek, "What are you doing down here?"

"If I tell you, will you put the gun down?" Ruby asked.

"Maybe," he said, "depends on what a bunch of people are doing down here."

"Our train was attacked," Ruby said, still not flinching, "can't say by who, bandits or something."

"The White Fang," Blake offered, resigning herself to abandoning the cause. It, and Adam had become corrupted from what she had fallen in love with.

That admission stung more than she thought it would. It felt like a full force kick to the gut.

The other Huntsman, who had slicked back blond hair and a pressed white suit, lowered his gun as he gaped at Blake, "Dust, seriously?"

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Scruffy growled, gun still aimed at Ruby's head.

"How do you know we aren't?" Ruby shot back.

Scruffy gave an angry growl, pressing the gun against her head harder as Slick pulled out a short range, lifting it to his mouth as he grabbed a book off the desk, flipping through it, "Mistral-Vale, what is your position?"

Nothing but silence answered him. Scruffy's body language only got more tense at that, "No…"

"Repeat," Slick said, "Mistral-Vale, what is your position?"

Nothing again.

"Mistral-Vale, we have report of a terrorist attack with intent to hi-jack, please confirm or deny."

Further silence.

"Mistral-Vale, if you continue to fail to respond, we will be forced to assume you have indeed been attacked. Please respond."

"Dust," Scruffy breathed, lowering the rifle from Ruby's face and beckoning them in rapidly, "Come in, all of you, you must be terrified."

"Not really," Ruby shrugged.

"Wasn't talking about you personally," he said as they stepped into spacious room. Even with the better part of a hundred people in there, they easily fit. Scruffy shut the door beside them and locked it as Slick moved to the CCT terminal against one wall, sitting down and beginning to attempt to send a message, "but you have civilians with you…"

Ruby shrugged, gesturing for Blake and Jaune to follow her away from the group, "So, we're gonna start training tomorrow."

Blake blinked, "Uh… What?"

"Yeah, what?" Jaune agreed.

"Hydaelyn has chosen you two to take up the same role as me," Ruby said, "the Weapon of Light, Hammer of Eikons, and neither of you are strong enough for that position now."

"Who is Hydaelyn?" Jaune asked.

"I'll introduce you later," Ruby said.

"You say we're not strong enough," Blake started, "How do you kn-"

Blake froze as Ruby appeared between her and Jaune in a blur of speed, planting a hand on their faces, and they they sank into darkness.

\- X **Jaune** X-

 _Jaune blurred around the giant fist as it smashed into the ground, sending stones flying and shattering the outer ring of the arena they were on. Jaune leapt onto the arm, angling a spear for the round golem's head as it swung its other arm into him. Jaune flew back, gritting his teeth against the pain in his chest as his spear reappeared in his hand, slamming the axe head into the ground, and nearly wrenching his arm from the socket as he stopped his movement._

 _ **Now kneel Overdweller, your lord commands! There will be no salvation for the sons of man!**_

 _The mountain core crumbled away to an platform in the air, a man in blueish silver armor and holding a spear, framed by a familiar red moon. Jaune clutched his swords as they dove forward, moving to deflect the first stab only for the man to suddenly vanish, pain spiking as the tip of the spear exploded out of his stomach._

 _Jaune looked back at the man as he was lifted off his feet, being thrown away and spitting up a glob of blood as the man appeared in front of him, barely able to roll away from the next attack and place his hand on his injury, "Physick!"_

" _Presumptuous fool," Jaune threw up one of his swords in time to block the next strike, feeling his arm be wrenched from its socket by the blow. Dodging the two after that, Jaune span as the man vanished again, his arm screaming in protest as he was pushed back, "Enough. I grow tired of this game."_

" _I think I liked it better when you were being over the top," Jaune snapped._

" _Die," the man ordered without raising his voice, a ball of fire forming above them._

" _Like hell," Jaune growled, lifting up the sword and feeling his hand crack and burn as it approached the flames,, "I am dying," and threw it forward, "before I get back to Remnant!"_

 _The blade sank through the armor around his throat like paper, causing him to unleash a gurgle as Jaune collapsed backwards, arm flopping as he stared up at the red moon, eyes drifting opened and closed._

" _Ruby!" Jaune grunted in pain as he was cradled, eyes drifting open again to see an old man over her, "Gods, hang on-!"_

" _Louis," Jaune slurred, grabbing Louisoix's shoulder, "Listen-"_

" _Hush," Louisoix said, turning away from her, "Cid!"_

" _Keep your hair on, I'm com- oh bugger me…"_

" _We need to get her to the Enterprise," Louisoix said._

" _You sure we should be moving her?" Cid asked as he came into view, revealing a man with neck length white hair and a pair of goggles._

" _Normally I would be against it, but we cannot stay here."_

" _Cid," Jaune said, stopping to hack up another glob of blood, "Cid, if I don't-"_

" _Don't you bloody dare," Cid spat, reaching down and picking him up as gently as possible, "I didn't carry you into the center of this place just for you to die on us!"_

" _Nael's dead," Jaune muttered into Cid's chest, vision flickering in and out as he was jostled around._

" _All the more reason to make sure your arse makes it home alive," Cid snapped, "Make the bastard squirm in the seventh hell."_

 _Jaune let out a weak laugh, eyes drifting shut, "Tell Than, Alisaie and Shotla-"_

" _You're gonna tell them yourself," Cid said, "You hear me?"_

" _Tell 'em I'm sorry," Jaune said, vision fading out entirely._

 _ **Corvum candidum exhilaramus**_ _!_

 _Jaune's eyes opened to an icy amphitheater, a woman with light blue, flawless skin and a crown of ice in her hair was skating across the air, leaving trails of ice in her wake. Jaune took one slow, wading step forward._

 _Looking down, Jaune growled at the ice crawling up his leg. Spinning his spear, Jaune rammed it into the ice. Unfortunately, the ice was forming quicker than he could break it, slowing him further._

" _You view yourself as a dragon slayer, don't you?" the woman said._

" _I-" Ice formed over Jaune's mouth, causing a burning feeling as the ice finished covering Jaune. Pain coursed through every evposed inch of Jaune's body, leaving him screaming against the ice as the woman landed in front of him, caressing his face as she passed._

" _Embrace the serenity," she said, voice soft, "Renounce the hatreds that consume you... And be scattered like dust in the wind..."_

 _Pain pulsed through Jaune's body as the ice shattered, ripping chunks of skin off his body as it went. Jaune fell to his knees, struggling against the pain as he used his spear to stand._

" _Oh?" the woman said, summoning a sword made of ice, "You're still ali-"_

 _Jaune lunged forward, stabbing out with his spear and letting go of it as she dodged to the side, a pair of connected swords appearing in his hand, shattering the woman's sword as he summoned his spear again, impaling her on it._

 _ **Fearless creatures, we all learn to fight the Reaper! Can't defeat Her, so instead I'll have to be Her**_ _!_

 _Jaune's heavy sword clashed with an armored man's, glaring at him._

" _So the vaunted Warrior of Light is a simple love sick maid come for veng-" the man was silenced by Jaune's punch to the throat, followed by him smashing his sword into the man over and over again._

" _Don't you dare!" Jaune all but roared, ignoring the blast of energy behind him, "You don't get to even mention him!"_

" _Zephirin!" someone yelled, "You would strike a man down with his own sword? Have you no sense of honor-?"_

 _Jaune felt a hysterical laugh rise up as he stepped back from the thoroughly dead corpse, "Honor?_ _ **Honor**_ _? Where was the honor in your ancestors killing Ratatoskr? In killing Haurchefant!?"_

" _Enough!" in a flourish of a cape, a giant in black armor appeared, grabbed a sword impaled in the ground and blasting Jaune back… or trying to, as Jaune just took another step forward, "if you care for the dragon and your lost love so much, then I will send you to them! With a single blow from Ascalon, I declare your end, Warrior of Light!"_

 _Jaune launched himself forward as the man did the same, their swords clashing before shattering in an explosion of energy. Jaune gave an annoyed grunt, throwing aside the hilt and summoning his swords while the man stared at his broken sword._

" _Impossible…" he said, looking at Jaune and taking a step back, "A thousand years of prayers… who, no,_ _ **what**_ _are you?_

 _ **Swelling overlong, seas of blood, are a song. And death an afterthought, To those who fight for naught**_ _._

 _Jaune's katana clashed with a man with long blond hair and a third, glassy eye in the center on his forehead, a wild, wide grin on his face as he drove a foot into Jaune's gut, sending him flying back, "Yes, that's it! You understand, don't you? It fill you now, doesn't it, Ruby? The urge to bite down on my jugular? To feel the warmth of my lifeblood pour into your mouth and down your chin as my pulse grows weak and halts? You understand, correct?"_

" _Like hell," Jaune rasped._

" _I don't understand you, my friend," he said with a laugh, "I really don't. We are wolves amongst sheep! Why do you pretend their opinions matter? Come, I have a surprise for you…"_

 _Jaune growled as the man turned and stepped outside, rushing to follow him… and falling still as his eyes landed on the creature locked in a cage of lightning in the center of the courtyard, "Zenos, what-?"_

" _They call it Shinryu, correct?" Zenos asked, staring up at it, "The King of Ruin had this menagerie built for his foreign queen and filled it with creatures from her homeland… they board me. But this,_ _ **this**_ _beast is impressive!"_

" _Zenos, don't-"_

 _You and this beast's fate are bound!" Zenos turned towards Jaune, a wild grin on his face again, "it is an Eikon, and you their Slayer! But, what if there was another option? What if we could force the Eikons to serve, as they do to mortals?"_

" _I'm serious-"_

" _Ruby, my friend," Zenos said, laughing as he fished a remote out of his armor,"stop worrying! You live for moments like this, I know because this is true for I as well! This is all we are! Ala Mhigo and Doma and Garlameld be damned! We aren't warriors, we are more than that!"_

 _Jaune bolted forward as Zenos hit the button, drawing his sword even as the machine flickered off and Zenos clashed with Jaune, "What are you-?"_

" _We_ _ **tower**_ _above the gods!" Zenos's eyes had changed from light blue to vivid pink, the sclera black, "by gifts and might! And before the Resonant, the gods will made to kneel!'_

 _Jaune pressed harder, his katana cracking and Zenos's shattered under the pressure, blood flying as Jaune cut through his armor._

" _We stand at the far edge of fate!" Zenos called, "for from this day forward, you and I are the gods of this world!"_

 _Shinryu swooped forth, apparently swallowing Zenos whole and lifting up. Water formed into a giant wave, Zenos's voice just barely audible over the roar as the dragon looked down with pink eyes._

" _ **An ending to mark a new beginning!"**_

 _Jaune rushed towards the wave, running right up to and towards Shinryu._

 _ **Fire in your eyes and fire in your hearts, steeled as you sound the horns of war!**_

\- X **AN** X-

 _Thoughts and opinions? Good? Bad? Meh? I just wish I could link the BGM for each segment of Jaune's flashback (Under the Weight, Rise of the White Raven, Oblivion, Dragonsong, Revolution, for those who care)_


	8. Chapter 8

Blake staggered back from Ruby's hand with a strangled gasp, slightly aware of Jaune falling onto his behind opposite her as she gaped at Ruby. That was, was…

Blake's eyes jumped the Ruby's face, looking for the ghost of scars she hadn't noticed before. Hands shaking, Blake reached out to touch the point where Ruby had been run through, only for Ruby to gently catch her hand.

"Don't," Ruby said, "It isn't there anymore."

"How?" Blake asked, "that was a halberd…"

"Louisoix and Y'shtola are great healers," Ruby smiled, "You wouldn't believe the number of times I'd be dead if it wasn't for them. So, still think you're ready to be a Warrior of Light?"

"You were holding back," Blake accused.

"Come again?" Ruby blinked.

"On the train. You were holding back against Adam," Blake said.

"Of course I was," Ruby said, "Alisaie was too close for me to risk goin' all out."

"I'm not glass," Alisaie sighed from her spot on the couch Jaune had helped her, Y'shtola pacing around her with muttered spells.

Magic was real…

Magic was _real_!

Blake couldn't help the giddy giggle that slipped out as that dawned on her. What rules did magic have in reality? She would have to ask Ruby!

"I know," Ruby said, "but I could still have hurt you if I got serious…"

Alisaie smiled, reaching out to grab Ruby's hand, "Thank you."

"I wasn't gonna let you get hurt… more," Ruby said, pausing slightly as it apparently dawned on her that Alisaie had already been injured.

Blake breathed in, looking down at Wilt, drawing the sword. Adam had had it forged with earth and fire Dust. A symbolic move, he said, stalwart and bravery…

Stubbornness and hatred.

"Ruby?" Blake asked.

"Yeah?"

"There was one person, Zeph-"

"Zephirin," Jaune supplied, curling up slightly.

"Who was he? You seemed to hate him."

"...He took Haurche from me," Ruby admitted, turning away from the group.

"Oh…" Blake said, incapable of putting words to that. If she hadn't found out about Adam, how would she have reacted to Ruby killing him? Would she have been blinded by hate? "I'm sor-"

"Don't be," Ruby said, "you didn't do anything wrong… but I did."

"What-?"

"Some people think I'm a hero," Ruby said, looking back at Blake with blue eyes, "I'm not. Zephirin had a family, Ilberd just wanted his home back, what right did I have to take everything-?"

Ruby staggered back as a heavy book smacked into her face, sending her reeling in surprise at it fell to the ground (though Blake ideally noted it probably hadn't actually _hurt_ all that much, compared to having ice rip large chunks of skin off or being impaled), "What was that for!?"

"You're getting morose," Alisaie said, "the Heaven's Ward and Ilberd both resorted to the power of Primals, they could have caused another Umbral Calamity, therefore it was your responsibility and obligation to stop them."

"Yeah," Lyse said, "Seriously, plus, think of how many people Ilberd got killed! Papalymo and Conrad! And you didn't even kill him, he killed himself."

"And the Heaven's Ward awoke the Warring Triad," Y'shtola said, "adding three more Primals of a similar tier to Bahamut as threats."

"...Thanks," Ruby said, giving a wet smile.

"Ruby," Jaune croaked, "that last man, Zenos… what happened to him?"

"Killed himself once I took down Shinryu," Ruby said after a moment's hesitation, "ran a katana right across his throat."

"Good riddance," Lyse muttered.

"Oh," Jaune muttered, staggering to his feet, "I'm gonna go get some sleep."

"Yeah," Ruby nodded, "We've got a lot to deal with starting tomorrow…"

\- X **Ilia** X-

It took Ilia a few moments after coming to to panic. At first, she just lay on the cold bench, breathing in and out.

Then her memories of the day before caught up with her, sending her jumping up and fumbling with her whip. That boy…

"Hey," an accented voice drawled, drawing her attention to the woman seated across from her, "about time you woke up."

In hindsight, what Ilia did was irrational and stupid and probably would have gotten her killed if the woman in front of her took it remotely seriously, but she was jumpy after seeing the ghost of her parents.

So she attacked the woman, firing her whip at her throat in a blur of movement. The woman's hand moved so quickly Ilia barely saw it, putting her open palm between her and Ilia's attack.

The whip punched right through the skin, only for the woman to catch the tip with her _teeth_ , stopping the whip dead, "Ou un?"

"What?" Ilia asked.

The woman's silver eyes flicked down to the whip, apparently weighing her options, before finally letting go of the whip, "I asked if you were done."

She wasn't taking this seriously?

Ilia pulled the trigger on her whip, retracing it through the hole so she could swing it for the woman's throat, the black blood flying off it in as it went.

The woman ducked, moving forward in a blur until she was standing in front of Ilia, a sheathed katana in hand. Before Ilia could retract her whip again, the woman drove the hilt into her stomach hard enough to lift Ilia off the ground.

Ilia screwed up her eyes against the pain, whipping her weapon up in an attempt to strike the woman in her face, only for her to vanish again, letting Ilia land on the ground, before her katana smashed into the back of Ilia's head, sending an explosion of stars across her vision.

Turning, Ilia lunged at the woman, only for Blake to appear between them, Gambol Shroud in one hand and Wilt sheathed in Blush in the other, "What are you doing!?"

"Defending myself," the woman said, "Ilia attacked me. Not sure why."

"What?" Ilia said, looking between them, "Blake, what's going on? Where's Adam and the others?"

"Ilia," Blake said, stepping forward, "Did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That Adam's been killing humans?" Blake asked quietly.

"So?" Ilia asked.

"So?" Blake stared at her, horror slowly appearing on her face, " _so_? He's killing innocent people-"

"There are no innocent humans," Ilia snapped, "They all either hate Faunus or are complacent in that hate-"

"How would you act if a human said that about Faunus?" Blake demanded, "if they said there's no such thing as a innocent Faunus because they're all members of the Fang or sit by and let the Fang hurt people?"

"You're taking their side?" Ilia demanded in turn.

"I'm taking the side I've always been on!" Blake said, "the side of equality-"

"There _is_ no equality!" Ilia yelled, aware of people waking up, "They don't want there to be! I can't believe you're taking _their_ side!"

"Ilia-"

"The only reason I'm not dragging you back to Adam and reporting this," Ilia said with tears pricking her eyes, "is because I cared about you."

"Ilia, Adam's-"

"I don't care," Ilia turned away, finding the exit and beginning to walk towards it, as she felt a hand land on her shoulder, she began to turn, only to feel it be pulled off, sending a thankful look towards the woman she had fought as she left.

\- X **Blake** X-

Blake had been staring at the door Ilia had vanished through for about ten minutes when Ruby spoke, "Right then, I'd say that's been about enough time."

"What?"

"We gave her a few minutes to cool her head, now let's go find her before she gets herself eaten or something."

"Are you talking about Ilia?" Blake asked.

"Did another girl just storm out of here?" Ruby shot back, "Course I'm talkin' about Ilia."

"You want to go find Ilia," Blake said.

"Yes?" Ruby said, running a hand through her hair, "I mean, I'd think you want to go find your friend, because that's what I would do in the circumstances, but maybe I'm wrong? I'm goin' either way, but feel free to stay behind if you want to."

"Just," Blake's voice cracked, "You want to go find her, after what she just said?"

"What, because it was a little racially charged?" Ruby laughed, "listen, on a scale of one to Y'shtola's Grandfather, that's nothing."

"Really?" Y'shtola asked, voice dry.

"Oh, c'mon, Shtola," Ruby said, "You're granddad was, like, super racist. He spent the entirety of our meeting glaring at me!"

"I wonder why," Alisaie snarked.

"Dunno," Ruby shrugged.

"You were fighting her," Blake said.

"Barely," Ruby lifted the sheathed weapon she had been using, "Look familiar?"

"That's.. the katana you used against Adam," Blake said, "but it broke!"

"Aye," Ruby drew the broken blade, "Wasn't gonna do any harm with with."

"But it's a sword," Jaune argued, "even if it's broken-"

Ruby turned the sheath upside down, several shards of metal pouring out and onto the ground, then she hit the sword, several more shards breaking off and clattering to the ground, "Kanesada's compromised, kiddo, it was more likely to just break if I used it than kill her. Now, let's get going, Blake."

Blake felt a glowing sense of gratitude toward Ruby then, standing and nodding as they stepped out of the station. Ruby looked both ways, eyes glowing with the blue symbol before pointing, "She went that way."

"How can you tell?" Blake asked even as Ruby started her march.

"Echo," Ruby said.

"Right," Blake nodded, following Ruby as she went, "Thank you."

"For going after your friend?" Ruby asked, "It's nothing."

"And you don't care I was a member of the White Fang?"

"Don't really know what it is," Ruby shrugged.

"We… we were supposed to be helping," Blake said, "making things better for Faunus…"

"And you weren't," Ruby said, "or don't think you were."

"I don't know," Blake said.

"It might just be Adam and a relatively small cadre," Ruby offered, "that's what happened with Ilberd."

"Maybe," Blake agreed listlessly.

"Even if they aren't," Ruby said, "You have us."

"Us?"

"The Scions," Ruby said, "Whether you like it or not, Hydaelyn wants you as a member, so we have your back."

"Thank you," Blake smiled, looking down at Wilt and Blush, before holding it out to Ruby.

"Eh?" Ruby said.

"He broke your katana," Blake said, "and you use a lot of iaijutsu. I can't use it effectively, so better for you to have it."

"You sure?" Ruby asked, still not taking the offered weapon, "it's the only thing you have from him at the moment."

"Adam did horrible things with them," Blake admitted, "Redeem them."

"...Ok," Ruby said, taking the sword, "Come on, let's go find Ilia."

\- X **Ruby** X-

Ruby rushed through the Grimm, her new chokutō singing as she used Jaaku Midare Setsugekka. Black flames danced around the blade as she flicked it to the side, snuffing them out so she could return it to the sheath. Fray gave a scoff as Blake came to join them, _Redeem them? We're like him._

 _We take lives to save_ , Myste argued, _while there's a hell waiting for us, we don't try to claim righteousness. We know we're killers, we know that hell waits._

" _Thou art overly confident of thine fate_ ," Midgardsormr rumbled, a deep yawn echoing through Ruby's head, " _and thy nature. There are many that will keep you from the abyss. The Scholar, the Ishgardian, the Ala Mhigan, the Red Mage, the Dragon Child. In time, mayhaps the Shadow, the Moon and the Rainbow might join them. So long as they remain in thy heart, thou shan't be consumed by darkness."_

"You've been quite for a bit," Ruby muttered under her breath.

" _I was resting_ ," Midgardsormr said, _"I still haven't supped upon enough Aether to be active. Thine echo chamber of chastisement irritates mine rest, so I moved to silence it. Nothing more, nothing less… though I suppose…"_

Before Ruby's eyes, in a blossom of aether, Midgardsormr appeared, wings beating at the air so he could fly towards Blake. The cat Faunus let out a startled yelp, lifting Gambol Shroud between her and Midgardsormr, "What?"

"Lower thine weapon, child of man," Midgardsormr rumbled.

"It can talk?" Blake asked in obvious confusion.

"And thou can make basic observations," Midgardsormr mocked, "I wonder if Hydaelyn's judgment is slipping, considering her record of chosen isn't very good at the moment."

"Hey!" Ruby snapped.

"Two out of six does not a good record make," Midgardsormr said, "Thou and the Lady were good decisions, but the others have not given me any reason to be confident."

"You know this… thing?" Blake asked Ruby.

"Thing," Midgardsormr rumbled, " _Thing_. I am a thing now, evidently."

"This is Midgardsormr," Ruby said, "He's another, uh, champion of Hydaelyn."

"But he's so small…" Blake trailed off, apparently fascinated by Midgardsormr.

"I am regaining my power," Midgardsormr said, "and I shall watch thou and judge thine worth, as I have Ruby, mortal."

"Midg," Ruby said, "Don't-"

"Thou proved me wrong," Midgardsormr rumbled, landing between Blake's ears, "she may do the same. Now, hurry and save her friend."

"Right," Ruby nodded, turning towards the Grimm, "Why are there so many?"

"Grimm are attracted to neg-"

Blake started, before blanching, "Negative emotions… Ilia!"

"I'll deal with them," Ruby held up a hand, black flames exploding to life as all the Grimm ahead of them turning towards her, "You go ahead!"

"But-!"

"It'll be fine!" Ruby grinned, "Go!"

"Thanks," Blake said, dashing ahead

"I'll catch you on the other side!" Ruby called.

 _Need my help?_

"In your dream," Ruby scoffed, curling and grabbing the hilt of her chokutō.

 _We share dreams_.

"Then in my nightmares," Ruby said.

\- X **Blake** X-

Blake rushed through the tunnels, occasionally dodging around a Grimm using a clone as Midgardsormr clung to her head. Blake kinda wanted to pluck the lizard off her head and cradle it.

It was just so small…

No, not right now. Ilia was in danger, she was a walking Grimm magnet at the moment.

Blake landed on one Beowolf, Gambol Shroud slashing through the back of its neck. Slamming a foot into the Grimm's skull, Blake bounded off it, continuing towards Ilia.

What if she was too late? What if Ilia had died, her Aura given out and her body broken?

That made Blake redouble her efforts, moving as fast as she could to reach Ilia. She would save Ilia, she _had_ to. Adam might be too far gone, but Blake was certain that Ilia wasn't like that. She was misguided, like Blake had been.

Blake felt something deep within her pulse as time seemed to grind to a near halt. She dodged around the attack of a particularly large Ursa with ease, taking off its arms before it had even finished the swing.

Blake continued forward, noticing the growing pile of dead Grimm in front of her. Some run through, others slashed to pieces, and yet more smoking. She was close, she was-

"Ilia!" Blake cried in relief as she found her friend, hamstringing the Beowolf about to attack Ilia before running it through.

"Blake?" Ilia asked weakly from where she was leaning against the wall, her left arm hanging limp and her skin disturbingly pale. As Blake fretted over Ilia, she found a gash in the side of Ilia's stealth suit, causing it to stick to her side, "What are you doing here?"

"We came to make sure you were alright," Blake said, carefully lowering Ilia to the ground. Where were Ruby and Y'shtola when you needed them?

"Make sure I was-?" Ilia parroted, mouth falling open, "but I-!"

"Doesn't matter," Blake said.

"Grimm," Midgardsormr warned. Blake snapped Gambol Shroud up as the Creep lunged at her, sending it crumbling to the ground.

"Thanks," Blake said.

"Do not expect me to warn thou every time," Midgardsormr advised, "but I understand there are outstanding circumstances at play here."

"Got it," Blake nodded.

"Who are you talking to?" Ilia asked with a ragged cough.

"This is Midgardsormr," Blake said, "he's, uh, an…"

What was he?

"Who's Midgar- whatever?" Ilia asked.

What.

"She can not see me, if I do not wish it," Midgardsormr said, "and I do not."

"Don't worry about it," Blake said, shooting another Creep, "Anyways, we came to get you."

"But… why?" Ilia asked, "You're on _their_ side now…"

"I'm not with the Fang anymore," Blake agreed, "but that doesn't mean I'm going to abandon you. You're my best friend."

"Why?" Ilia demanded, "Why are you leaving the Fang? Leaving me…?"

 _Blake's red fist stuck into the face of a girl, knocking her to the ground. Straddling her, Blake drove her fist into the girl's mouth again, feeling parts of her skin rip up as the teeth tore into them._

"I'm not leaving you," Blake said, pressing her hand against the bloody wound in an attempt to staunch the bleeding, "We're in this together. The Fang, it isn't the right path anymore, Ilia, but that doesn't mean we can't help Faunus. The Scions, they're good people, trust me. Please."

"What about Adam?" Ilia asked.

"Adam's dead," Blake admitted, feeling her voice crack, "He, he was too far gone."

Ilia didn't say anything for a long minute, "So if you decide I'm too far gone, your new friends will kill me?"

"No!" Blake insisted, "It's not like that, Ilia. I promise. And I know you aren't too far gone. Please, Ilia, give them a chance. For me."

 _Blake watched herself flip through the pages of a book as she sat against a shipping crate, eyes flicking up, "Hi."_

" _Hub… Hi! I'm Ilia!" Blake reached out a hand as her heart hammered in her chest, "Ilia Amitola! You must be Blake, right? We're part of the the same unit, apparently."_

" _Yeah," Blake, the_ _ **actual**_ _Blake, rather than the one riding in Ilia's body through the Echo, reached out and took Ilia's hand. Soft… "Nice to meet you."_

" _Do you think we could be friends?" Ilia-Blake babbled, "I, uh, I don't know many people in the Fang. Like, I met Adam, but that's all!"_

" _I guess" Blake-Blake said._

" _Great!" Ilia-Blake said, "What are you reading?'_

"...Fine," Ilia agreed at last.

"Thank you," Blake said, turning, "Ruby, hurry up!"

"Be right there!" Ruby called as an explosion of black flames ripped through the tunnel. After a moment, the Warrior of Light came walking through the flames, "What's-? Oh, let me deal with that! Physick!"

Below Blake's hand, she felt the bleeding staunch itself and Ilia's breath became less ragged.

"Come on," Blake muttered, picking Ilia up, "Let's go."

\- X **AN** X-

So the realization hit me while rereading Moment that a bunch of characters can be interpreted as having feelings for Ruby. It amused me to the point where I wanted to write more to see where it would go (it's also probably the quintessential example of my statement 'the characters do what they want, I just put their actions down on paper'. For example. Alisaie has a bunch of scenes that can be interpreted as he crushing on Ruby).

Thoughts and opinions? Good? Bad? Meh? I really want people's input on these stories.


	9. Chapter 9

Ilia closed her eyes as she leaned against Blake. Ahead of them, the brown haired woman was cutting through Grimm with Wilt like a tornado of blades and black fire. Blake jostled her slightly, "Are you alright?"

"Tired," Ilia mumbled into her shoulder, eyes still closed.

"Blood lose, probably," the woman said, sheathing Wilt and lowering herself, before launching forward, slashing through several Grimm in a explosion of speed, "It's not pleasant."

"You've dealt with blood loss?" Ilia asked, staring through the woman wearing a haori through half lidded eyes.

"More times that I can count," she said, "Nearly killed me once or twice."

"You sound way too blase about that," Blake said.

"Nald'Thal and me go a ways back," the other one said, "They took too many friends over the years, probably getting back at me for being too stubborn to die."

"Nald'thal?" Ilia asked.

"Gods of Death and Commerce," she grunted, "Pleasant enough, I suppose, but I'm probably not their favorite person."

"Why's that?" She didn't seem the religious type.

"I have a disproportionate tendency to not die when I should," she said, clicking her fingers as a blast of fire flew from them, consuming a swarm of Grimm.

"Where's Hydaelyn in this?" Blake asked. Hydaelyn?

"She's above 'em," the woman said, "Though Louisoix always thought bringing down the wrath of all Twelve would probably weaken her. Not enough Aether to go around."

"Louisoix… he was the old man from when you fought Nael right?" Blake asked.

"Nael wasn't Nael," the woman grunted as a larger Beowolf bounded at her, letting it bite into her so she could press Blush to the side of its head, pulling the trigger. The Grimm collapsed back, teeth stained black as the woman stepped over the spasming body, "but yeah… I owed him a lot, more than I could ever pay back."

"Owed," Blake said softly, "He died?"

"...Yeah," the woman said eyes locked on the ground, "He was Tempered, so I had to…"

"Oh…" Blake said, a look of horror dawning on her face, "I'm… I thought…"

"We'd only ever done it to people we didn't know?" the woman asked, giving a sad laugh, "I wish. Louisoix deserved more than that… he took me and my brother in, taught us, introduced us to the people who became the Scions."

"Ruby," Blake said, "I'm sorry-"

"Don't be, you didn't know," Ruby said.

"But that doesn't make it-!"

"It's in the past, Blake. Leave it there," Ruby said before she shoved open the door, "Shtola! We got an injured one!"

"What did you do this time?" a cat Faunus with white hair and mind bogglingly, both ears and a tail sighed, standing up.

"I didn't hurt her!" Ruby complained.

"I was more referring to the bite wound on your shoulder," Shtola deadpanned.

Ruby blinked, looking down at the injury, and began to poke it, creating a disturbing squelch, "It isn't that bad. Deal with Ilia first."

There was a moment of exasperated silence as Shotla shared a look with a girl with pointed ears and braided white hair. The girl marched over, grabbing Ruby by the uninjured arm and dragging her away.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

"Healing you," the girl snapped, shoving Ruby onto a bench and drawing a rapier made of purple crystal, flipping it around so the pommel was up and snapping a bobble of the same stuff onto the top.

"I don't need heal-"

"Bind," the girl said, a pulse of energy releasing from her rapier and forming into ropes of white light around Ruby's legs and pinning her arms to her side.

"Really?" Ruby deadpanned, "You know I can-"

"I apparently need to restrict you so you'll actually let me heal you," the other said, voice just as deadpan, "Vercure!"

A second pulse of energy flew from the weapon, this time a light green, and the wound on Ruby's shoulder grew smaller. Meanwhile, Shtola was examining Ilia, apparently completely uninterested in the actions behind her.

"Well," she started, "Ruby's first aid, as always, is a rushed patch job, but it's better than nothing. You'd probably be unconscious, or worse without it."

"I never needed more than first aid," Ruby defended as she was hit with another blast of green energy, "You, Louisoix or Krile were always there to heal me if I limped back-"

A loud crack echoed as the white haired girl slapped Ruby, a look of pure anger on her face. Ruby slowly raised her hand to where she had been struck, an almost mechanical gesture.

It dawned on Ilia that this was the first time Ruby had appeared shocked at a blow. Every other injury that she had seen inflicted on Ruby had been greeted with calm acceptance.

"Why do you keep acting like this?" the girl seethed.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, voice stilted and mechanical.

"You act like risking your life is no big deal, like you're just going to keep going until you die," the girl continued, "Like that's all there is-"

"Because it is," Ilia felt a shiver run up her spine at the continued monotone, "If I don't fight, another Calamity will come. Eventually, something will come that I can't come back from. It should have happened with Bahamut, it could have happened with Sephirot, Sophia, Zurvan, Shinryu, or Tsukiyomi. I don't hold delusions, Alisaie. I'm Hydaelyn's blade, but weapons break, inevitably."

"And you're fine with that?" Alisaie asked.

"I made a promise," Ruby said, voice still not changing, "and there is only one way that will end."

"Stop that," Shtola rebuked, stepping back from Ilia, "It's not like that. Arenvald is growing stronger every day. You may be the strongest of Hydaelyn's chosen, but you're not the only one chosen by her. We won't abandon you."

"...Thanks," Ruby's voice finally cracked, her eyes flickering away as she rotated her arm, "I think I'm good. Focus on Ilia for now, I'm gonna get some rest."

\- X **Ruby** X-

Ruby climbed into the back of one of the fleet of trucks that had arrived half an hour ago, leaning over as the rest of the Scions, excluding Alisaie and Jaune, who were taking the truck in front of them them, got in. Knocking on the back window, Ruby waited for the driver to open it, once he did, she spoke, "So, where are we going, anyways?"

"There's an island port not too far from here," He said, "It's where we're stationed from."

"A port, eh?" Ruby said, more to herself than him, "That brings back some memories. Thanks for picking us up."

"If anything, I should be thankin' you, ma'am," he said, "from what I hear, we got you and yours to thank for there being so many survivors. Cowardly thing for the Fang to do, to attack a civilian transport."

"We were just on the train," Ruby pointed out, "Anyone would have done the same."

"I doubt it," he said as the caravan began to move, "Ya might have been on the train, but ya coulda abandoned them. You'd have been the only survivors, or nobody would know you had done it."

"That's the coward's thing to do," Ruby scoffed.

 _Aye_ , Fray said, _Why run when you can fight? Why leave monsters worse than us in this world?_

Hydaelyn and Thaliak save her, she was agreeing with Fray on something…

 _Didn't you tell Haurche we were on the same side?_

Ruby's eye twitched.

"-Ruby?" Ruby blinked, head swiveling towards Blake.

"What?"

"You said ports bring back memories… why?"

"Why do you want to know?" Ruby asked.

"Just curious."

"...I spent a few years in a port town when I was younger," Ruby said, "I spent a few years in a lot of places over the years… never really settled, but the streets of Limsa Lomasia stick with you."

"Why?"

"I suppose it's the dich- dich-"

"Dichotomy," Y'shtola supplied.

"That's the word," Ruby said, nodding, "The upper portions are sparkling, walkways made of some type of white stone. But then you get to the lower parts, the slums and the docks, and you get rotten wood and long shadows. You get to the criminals…"

Ruby looked down at her left hand, clenching it experimentally.

"Me and Thancred ran with a group called the Upright Thieves," Ruby said, "They go by the Rogues' Guild now, but their job is still the same."

"Which is?"

"Limsa is a city of pirates," Ruby said, "When you have that many criminals near each other, it's a powderkeg. So there's the code, and it was our job to enforce it. You didn't steal from another Lomasian, or we would steal it back. You didn't kill a member of another crew, or we would kill you… and if you tried to trade in human lives, every member of the crew was marked, their colours burned and their ship scuttled."

"Human lives…?" Blake asked.

"Slaves," Ilia said, voice grim, "What about Faunus?"

"Hmm?" Ruby tilted her head.

"You said if you tried to trade in human lives. What if they used Faun-"

"Just as dead," Ruby cut Ilia off, "We just used human as a blanket term. Make life easier for everyone since we didn't need to asterisk every rule with a million different groups. My first job of that sort was against a crew that exclusively traded in Miqo'te-"

Shite.

"Miqo'te?" Ilia asked

"Lomasian terminology for people like me," Y'shtola seamlessly supplied.

"It was me, Jackie Swallow and Perimu," Ruby continued, "They're still with the guild, last I heard. Anyways, we went in under the cover of night, and what I saw there… well, let's just say I've seen a lot of bad things in my years, but that was up there…"

 _And what we did after was, so, so right_ , Fray cackled, accurately summing up Ruby's feelings on the matter.

Thal's balls.

"You killed them?" Ilia asked.

"To a man," Ruby said, "Burned their ship too."

"Huh," Ilia said, leaning back against Blake, "Why?"

"Doesn't matter to me if you have different body parts, so long as you ain't doing something wrong," Ruby said, settling back against the truck.

 _Some might argue we like you more that way_ , Fray chuckled.

\- X **Jaune** X-

Jaune hopped off the truck, turning to offer a hand to Alisaie. She ignored it, stepping off the truck and calmly walking over to Ruby. Jaune dropped his hand, sighing.

"Jaune!" Ruby called, "Ready to start training?"

"Start… training?"

"Aye," Ruby nodded.

"How? My sword and shield are still on the train…"

"We'll figure it ou-" Ruby voice died as she walked into the lobby of the hotel, face sliding into a grimace before she turned around, storming out of the hotel and grabbing one of the truck drivers by the shoulder, "What's the quickest way to Atlas?"

"I'm sor-? OW!

" _The quickest way to Atlas,"_ Ruby repeated, eyes blood red and voice taking on a second, equally unusual accent, _"Now, you bloody tosser. Lives are on the line."_

"Ruby!" Y'shtola and Alisaie rebuked.

" _...Fine,"_ Ruby's grip on the man's shoulder grew marginally looser, " _Would you_ _ **please**_ _point me towards the quickest way to Atlas?"_

"There's a Bullhead by the docks, it would take a couple of days, but-"

 _Bloody brilliant_ ," Ruby all but threw the man aside, " _I might as well take Midgsormer. Belladonna, with me!"_

"What's going-?"

" _Primal_ ," Ruby growled.

Silence fell across the group, Jaune feeling his mouth drop open. A roaring dragon flashed across his vision, then a icy woman.

Jaune's eyes flicked to the screen, watching the woman in a yellow dress dancing across the snow on the security footage, ice melting below her feet as she gamboled across it, blood red hair that faded into flames the same color flowing behind her like a banner on the breeze.

"I'm coming to-" Jaune started.

"No!" Ruby barked.

"But I'm-"

"Not ready for this," Ruby snapped, pressing her hand to an earring, "Urianger! Get Krile, Arenvald and a pair of linkpearls! The rest of you, meet us there in a few days!"

Next to her, a heavy lizard landed, letting Ruby and Blake climb onto its back as they took off.

\- X **Nyx** X-

Nyx stood in the circle of Fire Dust, feeling her hair stand on end as Pashtarot raised his arms, a shark-like grin spreading across his face. Standing around the room was the Mantle White Fang, watching the Dust beginning to lift into the air.

"What is it you desire?" Pashtarot asked, voice somehow echoing through the room in spite of his quiet tone. Flames cast everyone else's shadows along the wall, but steadfastly failed with him.

He had removed his mask and hood for the first time here, revealing himself to be a handsome man in his twenties, with neck length, light blue hair and eyes the same color. Occasionally, however, the dancing shadows would fall across his face, revealing red pricks where his eyes should have been, a red rune flashing across his face.

If anyone else saw these things, however, they didn't draw attention to it. They had barely drawn attention to any of the strange things associated with Pashtarot, from his demands for a massive amount of Dust to him ordering the entire organization here today.

He had seemed to effortlessly have seized control of the entire branch from the moment they stepped into the building for the first time.

"I said, what is it you desire?" Pashtarot repeated, with just a bit more force.

"We want Atlas to pay," the former leader of the Mantle Fang said, voice rasping, "We want the Schnees to pay!"

"And what will you pay for it?"

"...Everything, Lord Pashtarot."

" **Then I shall grant you your wish!"** Pashtarot raised his hand, the rune on his face glowing bright as he swept a hand up, the Dust forming a Glyph around Nyx glowed blood red, the crystals shattering into orbs of light, **"By the providence, the divine intelligence of Zodiark, Atlas will fall, the Schnees will grovel!"**

For a second, Nyx saw a massive purple crystal flash across her vision, towering above Pashtarot. Then members of the Fang began to drop, a silvery orb hovering above each of them.

"What's-?" Nyx tried to take a step towards Altair, only to lock up as red energy held her in place.

"Nyx!" Pashtarot howled as the last members of the Fang dropped, leaving only her, him and Altair, "You will be these peoples instruments of vengeance, their Maiden Goddess."

"I don't-"

"Too late!" Pashtarot laughed, the orbs, both silver and red, collided with her, entering her.

Something old yet brand new yawned in Nyx's mind as her black hair lengthened and lightened to a bloody red, as a yellow dress that was as simple as it was beautiful formed around her and she grew, taller than anyone else in the room.

She reached down, one finger brushing Altair's chin, "What is thy wish, brother mine?"

Altair shook, lowering himself and bowing, "Kill the Schnees, my lady, bring Atlas crashing down."

Deep inside her own body, trapped, Nyx screamed as her face split into a wide grin, placing her hand on the wall and melting it so she could escape the room, dancing along the ground with bare feet, "I shall do this."

\- X **?** X -

The team stood on the train, staring down the red haired man wearing a pair of jeans and a woman's blouse, a sword in a white sheath at his hip.

He stepped forward, holding out his hand and giving a wide grin, "Hello! My name's Haurchefant Greystone. Would you mind helping me find my friend?"

-X **AN** X-

the fact that Haurche wasn't out of commission (and that Pashtarot was using his body) has been foreshadowed as far back as chapter 1. Sorry if it isn't up to snuff, I've been feeling a bit under the weather recently

Thoughts and opinions? Good? Bad? Meh? Meh right?


	10. Chapter 10

So, another saga in the clusterfuck that is my life went down, but that doesn't mean the show shouldn't go on right?

\- X **Blake** X-

Blake gripped Ruby's waist as hard as possible, feeling the chain wrapping around them, holding them to Midgardsormr as he ripped across the sky. Towards the beginning of the journey, the occasional Grimm would turn, tilting towards them, only to be blasted from the sky by fire from Midgardsormr's jaws or killed with a sweep of Ruby's halberd.

She wanted to ask Ruby who Krile and Arenvald were, she wanted to ask what they were going to do about this Primal.

But she couldn't open her mouth against the force Midgardsormr was putting them under, and even if she _could_ , there was no way Ruby would hear her over the howling white noise in their ears.

Blake wasn't even sure how long they had been flying, just that the sun had dipped beneath the horizon long ago, that the shattered moon had begun to hang in the sky. Suddenly, Blake's gut dropped out from under her as Midgardsormr angled down, only the chain around her waist keeping her from flying off Midgardsormr.

What was going on?

 _Rest_ , Midgardsormr's voice rumbled in her head.

He could read her thoughts? Why hadn't he said anything before?

 _Because I did not feel the need to,_ Midgardsormr snorted as they landed on a sandy beach.

Ruby slid off Midgardsormr, grabbing several things off his back. Tinder, wood, water…

"Fire!" Ruby barked, a spark leaping from her fingers and catching on the tinder.

Blake climbed off Midgardsormr with shaky legs, eyes scanning around the forest beyond them, Nothing she could see.

Why was she surprised by that? They were on a deserted island, no Grimm would be able to survive here…

"You can rest," Ruby said to Midgardsormr, who vanished in a bloom of Aether, leaving behind a few extra packages. Ruby grabbed one, unfurling it and beginning to erect a tent.

"What are we doing?" Blake asked.

"Resting," Ruby said, dropping a series of blue-white stones onto the ground in a rough circle, "Preparing."

Then she hesitated, fingers lifted up in a snap.

"What?" Blake asked.

"I didn't want to use these yet," Ruby muttered.

"Why?" Blake asked, "What are they?"

"Aetheryte," Ruby said, raising her hand again, "As for why? Because wherever I use these is where the Scions' base in Remnant will have to be for now. Ah, well…"

"Are you sur-?"

"We need to kill that primal as fast as possible," Ruby said, snapping her fingers, "and that means we need support."

There was another bloom of Aether before it faded, revealing a larger crystal of the same color flanking a pair of people who couldn't be more different if you tried.

One was a lalafell, the other, a tall, stalky human, one a girl (or maybe woman?), the other a man, one was a brunette, the other blond, one wore a hooded robe, the other plate armor. One had a look of slight concern, the other an easygoing grin. One had a crook on her back, the other a sword and shield.

The minute the Aether faded, the lalafell sighed, the look of concern fading to a smile, "Ruby! Thank the gods we got through alright. A leap that far, with so little Aetheryte…"

"I didn't doubt you or Urianger for a second," the man laughed, planting a heavy hand on the Lalafell's head, right between the cat ears of her hood.

Blake felt like she should probably be vaguely insulted by that, but decided to settle for amusement at the look of indignation that came across the lalafell's face.

"Thank you," she said, "now would you please get your hand off me? I know I might look like one, but I am _not_ a child."

"Right, right," the man said, lifting his hand, "Sorry. So, what'd you call us in for, boss? Urianger said you sounded like someone had lit a fire under your ass-"

"-not a direct quote, obviously," the lalafell said.

"-but then it took hours for us to actually get shipped off," the man said, "I had just convinced Higiri to pull out a bottle of the good stuff too."

"Primal."

"...Bollocks," the man said, "Where?"

"Somewhere north of here," Ruby said, "We're going after it tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" the man asked, pushed up his hair enough for Blake to see a large scar in the center of his forehead.

" **Yes, tomorrow** ," Ruby snapped, eyes red, " **Me and Blake have been flying since I found out until now, for hundreds of Malms, so we're gonna rest."**

"Alright, alright," the man made a placating gesture, "Just wanted to make sure. No need to bite my head off

"I'm gonna catch something to eat," Ruby grumbled, an Aether flash going off in her hand and revealing the spear, her clothes replaced with a swimsuit.

 **-** \- X **Arenvald** X-

Arenvald felt the Miqo'te's eyes on him, finally breaking the silence as he stoked the fire, "Anything in particular you want, or ya just gonna keep starin' at me like Aenor does the Boulders?"

The girl, a couple years younger than him, jumped in place, shrinking back as Krile sighed. The smallest, yet eldest, of the three around the fire shook her head, "Arenvald, you scared the poor girl."

"Who, me?" Arenvald laughed, "Why'd she be scared of me? I'm cuddly, like a griffon."

"Griffons aren't cuddly," Krile said, rolling her eyes.

"Exactly." Arenvald grinned at her.

"Ignore him," Krile said to the Miqo'te, "He likes to think he's funny."

"So do you two, uh, have the Echo too?" the Miqo'te asked, stepping back into the light.

"Oh, is that why you're here?" Arenvald said, "I thought you were the virgin sac- BLOODY HELL, KRILE! Learn to take a joke!'

"You're not being funny," Krile huffed from where she had cuffed Arenvald upside the head, "once again, ignore him, he likes to think his particular brand of humor cuts the tension."

"You didn't even let me get to the bloody punchline," Arenvald groused.

"Let me guess, you were going to tell me _I_ was the virgin sacrifice," Krile deadpanned.

"No," Yes.

"It's alright," the Miqo'te smiled, "He means well."

"See! She gets it," Arenvald said, grinning at her, "I'm Arenvald, by the way."

"Blake," the girl said, "So, you both have the Echo?"

"Still on that, eh?" Arenvald laughed, "Aye, though I'm not nearly as adept with it as Ruby or Krile. Half the time, it's enough to send me ass over head. Luckily, we aren't doing an investigation, so that doesn't matter."

"Have either of you ever fought Primals before?"

"I have," Arenvald nodded, "I'm normally the Scions' second on the damn things. If Ruby's busy, which she often is, I deal with weaker Primals."

"Why would she be busy?"

"Why wouldn't she be? More powerful Primals, covert operations, Voidsent. It would be easier to list reasons she _wouldn't_ be too busy. Warrior of Light is a busy job. I mean look at this, she comes here to visit her family, instead we're gonna fight a Primal."

Blake's eyes drifted to where Ruby was just visible coming from the water's edge, pushing a few fish off Gae Bolg, the moonlight showing off the clusters of scars across her body, "I hadn't thought about that. I knew she fought a lot, but…"

"Many people do," Krile said, "Even amongst the lower Scions and Crystal Braves, Ruby appears as an unshakable figure."

"Helps that she's managed to dodged scars on her face," Arenvald said, tapping his finger against the scar on his forehead, "These'll get people's attention nice and quick."

"How'd you get that?" Blake asked, before Krile flinched back, "What?"

Arenvald laughed at it, leaning forward, "Dear mother took a knife to my head in a fit of madness."

"Oh…" Blake's face blanched, "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Arenvald gave an easy grin, "Haven't seen her since I was fourteen, couldn't be bloody happier. I just hope throwing me out on the streets helped her start to recover."

"But… why?" Blake asked, voice soft, "Why?"

"She always resented me for being half Garlean," Arenvald said, laughing, "like I had any more choice in that than she did. Anyways, she was sure I would just sprout a third eye like my cunt of a father, so she decided it was better to just maim that spot before it happened. Rhalgr be damned if logic would remind her that only full blooded Garleans are born with it."

"Oh… Oh, Hydaelyn," Blake breathed.

"Don't be like that," Arenvald said, "I made my peace with how I came into this world, and I have a family in the Scions. Ruby, ya caught enough fish!?"

"Not yet!"

\- X **Winter** X-

Winter sat on the airship, watching the recording from the military base Été had attacked a couple of days before. The one that had first drawn the Atlesian attention to her.

It was a massacre, with her not even breaking from the weaving dance as she lashed out with whips of pure fire, incinerating the soldiers to bone and melting mechs with each sweep of the whip.

Winter watched one soldier rush towards the controls for the Anansi mech, activating the autopilot just before he was tackled by another soldier, who ripped off the first's helmet, angling a gun down and executing him.

"Still don't get that," Gawain said as the view switched to the mech's point of view, the IFF quickly pinging each of the soldiers before locking onto Été, railguns turning on with high pitched whine.

"None of us do," Winter said, watching the first shot launch towards Été, crashing into her with a loud bang.

Z-23 railguns fired with enough force to shatter Aura in less than three shots, Winter remembered as Été stepped from the flames with a grin, particles of energy forming into a double ended sword. Like what Ravana had brought to bear against Ruby.

Été moved with a blur of speed, scything the next two shots from the mech and and stopping in front of it. The blade lashed out, cutting off the shoulder mounted Z-23s, before running through the mech with an explosion of bubbling metal.

"What the fuck is she?" Forest asked, watching as the camera angle switched again, Été ripping the sword out of the side of the mech in a shower of molten metal, "A weapon hot enough to melt Dust infused steel would have to be hot enough to turn her hand to ash."

If she was human, Winter observed, but whatever Été was, it wasn't human. She was too tall, too resilient, too powerful.

She was like Iceheart.

"We're almost there!" Their pilot called, "About five minutes ou-"

Winter tensed as the entire ship quaked, pulling up the camera on the outside of the shi-

Winter watched a black arrow skim the outside of the ship, sending them quaking again. Focusing on the ground from the direction of the shot, Winter saw Éré leering up a them, drawing the bowstring back, "Left!"

The ship tilted to the left, letting the arrow glance off its armor and into the air. Below, Été's leer faded, and she grasped another arrow, drawing the bowstring back as fire coiled around the arrow, eyes burning as she let the arrow fly.

Winter didn't have time to give a warning before the arrow punched through the cockpit, skewering the pilot as the horrific smell of burning flesh and noise of boiling fat entered the room, the controls warping before Winter's eyes.

"Oh, fuck," Winter heard someone say, brain too scrambled to figure out who, before the sonic boom caught up to the them and they dropped out of the sky.

-X **Winter** X-

Winter came to with a ringing in her ears, Gawain slumped over across from her, and Forest and Sapphire missing. Winter reached down, fumbling with the clasp of the harness around her chest.

Crawling over to Gawain, Winter checked him for signs of life, giving a relieved sigh as she found his pulse and weak breath, turning and crawling away from her unconscious partner, stopping to stare at the spot where there should have been a massive arrow before climbing out of the airship.

Forest was kneeling on the ground, White Death's iron sights level with his eye as he breathed in, pupil a prick, before he pulled the trigger. Hand a blur, he worked the bolt action, firing a second shot, then a third.

"Son of a bitch," the sniper snarled.

"Missed?" Sapphire asked, her cutlasses drawn.

"I don't miss," Forest said, "she just took three bullets to the fucking skull and is still coming- fuck me!"

Forest dove to the side as another arrow came roaring through the air, impaling the ground where he had been and caused Winter and Sapphire to flinch back from the burning heat and instantly sublimated snow.

They watched as the arrow cooled and crumbled, horror rising as they looked up through the forest, "Split."

"What?" Forest asked.

"Split!" Winter ordered, summoning a pair of Ursa to charge at Été as she ran away from the ship.

"That's fucking retarded!" Forest barked, following her, "We need to take her togeth-"

Before he could finish, two more arrows came flying, impaling Winter's Ursa and dispersing them with a hiss.

"Fine!" Winter snapped, charging toward Été as Forest fired at her. The woman as tall as a tree stood, grinning at Winter. Her bow disintegrated, replacing it with a pair of swords that, on anyone else, would be greatswords.

Été deflected the shots from Forest, clashing with Winter, "Who art thou?"

"Winter…" Winter growled, feeling her Aura struggle with the heat from the flaming weapons, "...Schnee!"

"Amazing!" Été laughed, "Stupendous! Spectacul-"

Été stopped, face frozen as her left hand rose up, driving the thumb into her own eye with a howl, "Run!"

Winter gaped as Été wrenched the appendage from her face, blood pouring down her cheek as she tisked, "Thou little brat! Stay there, I'll deal with _thou_ after. As for thou, Mistress Schnee, I shall make thou submit!"

Winter honestly wasn't sure what is more irritating, that Été thought she would submit, or the butchering of classical Remnantian.

Winter tensed as a wave of energy washed over the area from Été, before summoning a Glyph over her head, sending a Nevermore pecking at her remaining eye. Été deflected it with a childish pout, "Why doest thou not bend the knee like your comrades?"

What?

Winter whipped around, hearing one of White Death's bullets whiz by her ears as Forest stared at her with a unreadable expression on his face. The Specialist hit the button on his gun, the large bayonet springing forward as he lunged at Winter.

Winter deflected the attack, grunting, "Forest, what the he-?"

"Lady Summer orders you to submit," Fray said, voice holding a strange tone. It reminded Winter of the White Fang, or certain parts of the military, like the head of Argus who harrassed General Ironwood.

Fanaticism.

Winter threw White Death into the air with the help of a Glyph, holding Mohnblume up, "Forest, I don't want to hurt yo-"

Winter whirled, ducking under the swing from Sapphire before White Death slid by her ear.

Winter pulled the trigger on Mohnblume, catching the maine gauche and deflecting the attack from Sapphire with one hand and Forest with the other, "I don't want to hurt you-"

"That's too bad," Été giggled, the flesh of her missing eye writhing, "They want to hurt thou~!"

"Shut! Up!" Winter barked, summoning a Glyph and firing a swarm of Nevermore at Été, ripping into her eyes again.

Été gave a childish shriek, batting the Grimm away with her weapons, "Stop that! It isn't fair!"

"See if I care!" Winter snarled, "Let them go!"

"No!" Été refused with a pout, "I-"

Before she could finish, something came flying down from the sky, appearing like a Sea Feilong of black fire, and crashed into Forest. Then a second came down, crashing into Sapphire.

As a third, fourth and fifth came down, the blade within one batting Winter aside, a semi-familiar voice howled out from above, "Hearken to the verse of the First Brood! Of Nidhogg's fury, and Ratatoskr's understanding! Of Bahamut's rage and Tiamat's despair! Of Hraesvelgr's love and Midgardsormr's forgiveness! **DRAGONSONG CHORUS**!"

The five serpents smashed into Été as a sixth came plummeting from the heavens, a frame wearing stylized armor just visible before a giant twister of flames circled around Été.

Winter couldn't help her mouth dropping open as the armored figure alighted in front of her with a twirl of their spear. Impossible. That was a dream, it had to have been a dream…

"No fair!" Été complained again, "Who are you, why are you interrupting my playtime!?"

Winter's mouth, if anything, dropped open further as Été stepped out of the flames, her dress and hair gone as she stared at them with one hatred filled eye, the other side of her face a mass of burns and bone.

And yet, before her very eyes, Winter could see Été's flesh knitting back together, her hair regrowing. Blades were pushed out of her body, clattering against the scorched ground.

"And I thought Nidhogg was resilient," Ruby Rose complained, before launching herself back at Été, spear aimed for the heart.

Way back in chapter 4, there was a section where I showed Ruby and Ysale going up against Ravana through an unnamed narrator (with the hint that they identified the Crystals used to summon Ravana as Dust). Now you know who! I normally don't indulge in Large Ham Calling Your Attacks, but the Omega Raid implies outright that our character DOES indulge, so here's some indulgence.

Thoughts and opinions? Good? Bad? Meh?


	11. Chapter 11

Ruby stabbed for the Primal's semi-exposed heart, Gae Bolg singing as it went. A molten wall formed in front of her, deflecting the strike. Ruby gave a half hearted tisk as her hand protested the burning heat, the spear crafted of dragonbone and infused with water aligned Crystal dust moved through the molten stone slowly, like an oar through molasses, but luckily didn't melt.

Getting relics like this reforged was a pain, mainly because she needed to talk to Gerolt and Rowena. It was already gonna be a pain asking them to make sure her new chokutō was up to anti-Primal levels.

"Who art thou?" the Primal demanded, a massive broadsword forming in her hand and deflecting Ruby's attack. Ruby tisked again, dodging the next strike as the earth turned molten on impact.

Bloody magma.

"Answer me!" The Primal demanded, swinging for Ruby in a savage flurry of blows. Ruby dodged each one with a slight swaying. She didn't know how to use that weapon, did she? Good. "Speak!"

"I don't make a habit of talking to people who are soon to be dead," Ruby said, "Not sure why I would make an exception for you."

Ruby ducked, dodging the next swing and striking out with Gae Bolg as the Primal gave an enraged shriek, "Do not look down upon me, morta-"

"Would you stop with the bloody antiqued?" Ruby snapped, leaping back and spinning Gae Bolg, "You aren't from that time."

Where the hell were Arenvald and Krile? Midgardsormr should have landed by now.

Ruby threw Gae Bolg at the Primal, a flaming serpent appearing around the spear as Ruby's hands clasped Chaos Blade and Highway Star, splitting them apart. Ruby launched forward in the wake of her spear, grinning as the Primal deflected it, leaving her open to Ruby's signature weapons cutting off her arms.

"THOU!" The Primal stomped her foot, the ground under them melting. Oh, bug- "ART! A! PES-"

"Ruby!" Ruby glanced over, reaching out to grab the thrown ribbon from Blake, being yanked away from the magma as Midgardsormr landed.

"Fire based one, eh?" Arenvald said, weapons drawn.

"Aye. As annoying as Garuda."

"Bloody brilliant," Arenvald sighed, spinning his sword, "Let's get to work, then."

"MORE!?" the Primal howled, rushing across the lava like it wasn't there, arms already regenerating to hold a pair of swords. Arenvald put himself between them and the attack, letting his shield take the brunt of the attack.

"Cura!" Krile said, the burns on the white haired woman healing.

"Blake," Ruby said, "We're on flanking duty."

"Right," Blake nodded.

"And be careful. Arenvald will try to hold her attention, and I'll take over if he falls, but any healing on you is Aether not being used on someone else."

 _Now is not the time,_ Midgardsormr growled, a blast of ice flying from his mouth and freezing the Primal for a second, letting Arenvald shatter a limb off it.

"You capable of fighting?" Ruby asked the white haired woman, preparing to attack her.

"Yes," she nodded, staggering up and gripping her weapons, "She used some form of hypnosis Semblance on my team."

Semblance? Did she mean Tempering?

"Well then, here we go," Ruby said, before lunging forward and driving her swords into the Primal's spine.

\- X **Blake** X-

Blake moved as fast as she could, Gambol Shroud slicing into the tough flesh of the Primal whenever she got the chance. It wasn't often, unfortunately.

It couldn't be, when Ruby was an absolute whirlwind of blades. Her barbed halberd ripped into the flesh of the Primal, sending visceral arcs of red flying into the air.

In a strange way, it had a savage beauty to it. Each attack dug deep, leaving open wounds that Blake could see through for a moment before they stitched back up. Ruby twisted and twirled, contorting her body to gain the maximum momentum before she delivered the next strike.

This was the Ruby she had seen in the flashs of the Echo. The Bloody Warrior of Hydaelyn, who could break necks with a single twist, who could suffer the agony of being encased in ice and have portions of her skin flayed and still have the presence of mind to win the fight.

The one who didn't seem to flinch as more fire coiled around the Primal they were fighting, merely jumping back seconds before the blast went off, at the same moment Arenvald slammed his tower shield into the ground.

The ethereal walls of a castle rose around Arenvald, hiding Krile and the Atlesian Specialist. Ruby grabbed Blake, swinging her massive sword into the air and leaving a black rift through which Blake could feel a thousand eyes staring, could see a purple cry-

Ruby pulled Blake close, covering her eyes, "Don't look. There's nothing good in there."

Blake nodded, feeling the blast fly towards them before it vanished into the rift, the other half crashing against Arenvald's wall, where it flickered and died. Once the conflagration faded, Ruby let go, dashing forward with her halberd aimed for the Primal's throat.

The Primal twisted at the last second, slamming her sword into Ruby's armored gut as she wrapped her off hand around Ruby, drawing back the sword for another blow.

That was where Blake came in, rushing forward and swinging her sword through the eyes of the Primal. She dropped Ruby, reaching up to cover the bloody holes with a shriek, swinging the sword wildly. Ruby span, driving her fist into the Primal's chest and sending her flying towards Arenvald.

The swordsman wasted no time driving the edge of his shield into the Primal's spine, a loud crack echoing as he did so. That shield wasn't light, it couldn't be…

"FOOLS!" the Primal shrieked, twisting her upper body to blindly swing for Arenvald, squinting through half formed eyes.

"Hydaelyn and Thaliak damn her," Ruby spat, twirling the spear around in a blur. Thaliak?

"What?"

"She's drawing Prayer in a massive amount," Ruby spat again, "That's why she's healing so quickly. She either been Tempering a horrific amount of people, or she's based off something people worship a lot."

"What do we do?" Blake asked, feeling her stomach drop out.

"We need to know what she is," Ruby said, deflecting a blast of fire, "We need to know where they're getting Prayer from. And I don't think Miss Tantrum is gonna tell us."

"Then how?"

"That," Ruby said, "Is gonna be you fellows job. Good luck."

"What's that-?" before Blake could finish, a blast of black fire smashed into her, Krile, Arenvald and the Specialist, pushing them back as a black shell began to form around Ruby and the Primal, "Ruby!"

"Get going!" Ruby ordered just before the shell shut around her.

"That damn fool," Arenvald snarled, smashing his shield against the barrier, before turning towards Blake, "What did she want?"

"We need to find out who that Primal is, and where they're getting their Prayer," Blake reported.

"Come on," Arenvald said, "We should do it, fast."

\- X Ruby X-

Ruby watched the barrier snap shut, before turning towards the Primal as she struggled to stand, the broken spine Arenvald had delivered not quite healed yet. Behind her, the sound of something impacting the barrier echoed.

"So, thou would offer thy life in return for theirs?" the Primal said as she finally stood up. Ruby twirled Gae Bolg, black flames coiling around the Barbed Spear as she lowered herself into a sprinter's pose.

"Of course not," Ruby scoffed, before launching forward, thrusting Gae Bolg into the Primal's skull as she summoned the Chaos Blade in her left hand. Partially blocking the sword strike, she stared into the hate filled eye of the Primal, one of the only lights in the darkness, as her already viscous black blood staunch the bleeding, "I'm offering _yours_."

Then Ruby ripped the blade from her skull, barbs dragging parts of grey matter with it as the wound healed. Ruby dispersed Chaos Blade, spinning her spear around her and cleaving off portions of flesh with each strike, only for them to heal, even as the black muscles under her own flesh did the same. She hadn't seen anything like this since Shinryu…

When she found the Ascian responsible for this, she was killing them and gonna make sure they bloody well _stayed_ dead.

\- X James X-

James Ironwood watched the fight happen from the still functioning camera of the airship. He watched the flaming serpents drop from the sky, the group engage Été, and the man in armor like a dragon create a barrier blocking them off.

James didn't know how long the barrier would last, he didn't know how the man expected to hold off Été on his own, but he did know one thing.

The man had bought them _time_. Time to evacuate the next several towns and bases, the Schnee manor (assuming they could get through Jacques's head) and perhaps even parts of Atlas before Été arrived, now that they had empirical evidence of a mind control Semblance, to set up a firing line of mechs, so when that barrier dropped firepower beyond what they had brought to bear against Été before would be there to gun her down. And when it was over, the man would be buried with honors, and James would personally toast his grave.

Even if he had snuffed out the life of two specialists. It was an understandable, if regrettable, response, given the magnitude of the battle.

This was why he wanted to move the world forward, to where there were enough Knights, Anasis and Paladins so they didn't need to endanger _people_.

"Specialist Schnee," James said, hitting the button to call Winter. On the screen, Winter's hand raised up to the earpiece.

"Sir?"

"Recover Specialist Bronzewing," James ordered.

"Of course," Winter nodded, "Where's extraction?"

"There isn't one, at the moment."

"Sir?"

"These people seem to know something about Été. You and Bronzewing are to stay with them, try to gain their information. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good," James nodded, "Overlord out."

James watched Winter approach the Bullhead, crawling in to retrieve her partner before they focused the camera on the barrier, flashing through twenty different filters in an attempt to find one that worked. Finally, through Auric Emissions, James was capable of watching the fight, Été practically a bonfire compared to the man's tightly packed Aura, their weapons glowing just as bright.

James watched the spear whirl in one hand, deflecting sword strikes as he slashed into Éte, revealing new information about the creature.

Each time a limb was removed, it crumbled away, like a weak shell, before the Aura radiating from within surged up, returning to the place where it had been and reforming the shell.

It was like she was less a person _with_ Aura, and more a person _made_ of Aura. Too much to be human or Faunus. Far, far too much. Even more than a Maiden had.

So what was she? How had she come into existence? And why _now_?

James reached out at the beep that was a call from Ozpin, directing it to the Headmaster's study as he gave the orders for evacuations and reinforcement.

\- X **Winter** X-

Winter struggled to keep her heavy partner standing as she followed the group, except for the black haired girl, they were arguing in a language Winter didn't recognize. Which made it all the more disconcerting that she could understand it _perfectly_.

" _We need to hunt down any Tempered_ ," the man said, casually backhanding a Beowolf that got too close with his tower shield.

" _We don't even know there are Tempered_ ," the short woman said, " _Or where they would be if we started looking for them."_

" _We follow the path of carnage_ ," the man said, trudging through the knee high snow, before stopping, turning to offer an arm to the woman, who rolled her eyes but climbed onto his shoulders nonetheless.

In any other circumstances, it probably would have come off as slightly patronizing, but since the snow was up to his knees, it was up to her chest.

"What's a Tempered?" Winter asked.

The two arguing didn't respond to her, continuing their debate. The black haired teen, looked over, biting her lip, before nodding at

the shell, "It's uh… someone who's been brainwashed by… that. I'm Blake, by the way. And these are Krile and Arenvald."

"Winter," Winter said, "Winter Schnee."

"Yeah," Blake said, "I could tell."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Winter demanded.

"You're not the most subtle person out there," Blake said, voice dripping with venom, "Heiress of the SDC, right?"

"Not anymore," Winter said, "What's your last name?"

"...Belladonna," Blake finally admitted, begrudgingly.

"Blake Belladonna?" Winter said, "Heiress of Menagerie, right?"

Blake cracked a small, sad smile, "probably not any-"

Before they could finish, the bubble of black in the distance pulsed, a shockwave lashing out and pushing over trees. Arenvald growled, grabbing Gawain from Winter and tucking him under his shoulder, the cybernetics not weighing him down in the slightest, "Come on, we need to go!"

\- X **Fray** X-

 **Let me out,** Fray said, watching the fight.

"Why should I?" Ruby asked, ducking under the attack.

 **Because you need help,** Fray snapped, **And the three of us together can do it.**

"…Fine," Ruby said, begrudgingly. Cronus Lux slammed into the snow, a book hovering in the air, "get out here before I change my mind."

" **With bloody pleasure**!" Fray said, stepping out of the whole and grabbing his sword, staring down the Primal with a shark-like grin. At the same time, Myste grabbed the Grimoire, flipping it open. The three fragments of Ruby Rose prepared, and then lunged forward, ready to attack.

\- X **AN** X-

Alright, I don't normally do this. I like to keep my ANs succinct to keep from bloating my word count, but I'm gonna make an exception this once. Do not, and I repeat, DO NOT post on one of my other stories demanding I update Moment, nor do I want people posting comments demanding I update another story on Moment. When I post a new chapter of a story, I want to see people's reaction to THAT story. Getting told to go work on another story is discouraging, because it gives the image that what I wrote, what I spent the last week or more on, wasn't good enough. It makes it harder to want to work on any story.

And with that done, Thoughts, questions and opinions? Good? Bad? Meh?


	12. Chapter 12

Fray cleaved through the Primal's skull, laughing as he drove a knee into her groin. Cronus Lex thrummed, his heart aligning with Anima and setting them both ablaze, " **DIE**!"

The black flames of the void glowed as Fray span in the air, more blood spilling across the ground as he carved through the flesh. Ruby landed on the Primal's shoulders, helm broken, impaling Chaos Blade and Highway Star into their throat and decapitating it. Ruby kicked the head away, "Myste!"

"By the light of Dalmund!" Myste said, the grimoire floating in front of them as their eyes glowed a monotone, bloody red. A spear of crystalline light the same color formed in their hand, before they cast it into the Primal's body, grabbing the grimoire and holding it up to the sky, "Come forth, Dreadwyrm! Ahk Morne!"

For a moment, the symbol of Thalek on the grimoire flashed the same bloody red that had heralded the Seventh Umbral Calamity, before the energy around Myste formed into a replica of the Dreadwyrm Bahamut, wings spread wide, and it swept them forward, a pillar of energy blasting up from where the primal stood, once, twice, thri-

Myste's eyes went wide, the spell destabilizing as they barely got out of the way of the thrown spear. Fray caught it, smashing it over his knee and baring his teeth at the Primal.

"Fray," Myste said.

" **What?"**

"There's a girl in there. Like Ysayle…"

Gods' be good. They couldn't make this easy, could-

"Perfect!" Ruby said, "That means we just need to convince her to-"

Fray grabbed a second spear aimed for Ruby, flipping it around and throwing it into the eye of the Primal. Well, that explained how it was regenerating a godsdamned head, at least, " **Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's all bloody well good, but if we could prioritize NOT DYING, that'd be better!"**

Ruby and Myste nodded, before they each turned back to the Primal. Ruby lowered her center of mass, connecting Chaos Blade and Highway Star while Myste grabbed their grimoire, ice forming at their feat, "Shiva! Come forth!"

"Not Leviathan?" Ruby asked.

"Saving Aether," Myste said.

"Fair enough," Ruby said, before launching forward, stabbing the Primal again.

\- X **Blake** X-

Blake's grip on Gambol Shroud grew tighter as they stepped into the Atlesian Military base, desiccated bodies and broken mechs lay across the ground and half buried in snow were barely visible through the drawing gloom of night, while a small contingent of guards marched around the area, ignoring the bodies of their fallen comrades, "What happened to them?"

"Tempering," Arenvald said, letting Krile down to draw his sword and shield, while Krile grabbed his staff, "Poor bas-"

 **Arenvald staggered back, a hole in his head, while gore splattered across Blake's face**.

Before Blake could give warning, horrified by the ghostly feeling on her cheek, Krile suddenly grabbed her staff, swinging it up, "Protect!"

A silvery barrier appeared around Arenvald, the bullet that had been fired grinding against it. Arenvald ducked while the barrier gave way, the bullet hitting the ground in an explosion of dirt and melting snow.

"What-?" Winter said, "but I just saw-"

"I'll explain later," Blake said, tightening her grip on Gambol Shroud. She could do this… she could-

"Aeroga!" Krile said, pointing her staff at the sniper. A distortion of air wrapped around him, flensing the flesh from bone, blood exploding outward as the wind tossed it around.

Oh _fuck_.

Blake fought to keep the bile down as she instead looked down, focusing on the guards pointing guns at them, "What the hell, Krile?"

"It might have been an unhealthy dose of excessive force, I admit," Krile said.

"You _pureed_ him," Blake snapped.

"I said it was excessive," Krile repeated, creating a larger barrier, "I'll try to be less… extreme."

"You just killed them," Winter snapped.

"Yes," Krile agreed, "I'm sorry, there's no choice."

"What do you me-?"

"Tempering in irreversible," Blake said.

"Tempering?" Winter said.

"Not now," Arenvald snapped, dropping Winter's teammate behind a wall and drawing his sword and shield. He began to move forward, only for a blue-white Ursa to spring up between him and the soldiers, stalking from side to side as he tired to juke around it, "What in the seventh hell?"

"I am a member of the Atlesian Military," Winter said, pointing at Arenvald, "I won't let you just _murder_ my comrades-"

"Fine then," Arenvald snarled, slamming his sword into the Grimm before turning, "Blake, Krile, you two deal with them. I'll deal with _her_."

"We don't need to escala-" Blake started.

"They need to die," Arenvald said, "and if she's going to keep that from happening, I'm going to put her down too."

"You can try," Winter hissed, visible eye burning with anger, while two more Ursas appeared within the barrier to block them, "but I won't-"

Before Winter could finish, the ground beneath the Ursas came to life, crushing the Grimm. Krile lowered her staff, nodding to Arenvald, "You'll be fine?"

"Aye," Arenvald said, energy glowing around his sword.

"Come on," Krile said, dropping the barrier, "We need to do this, Blake. Go for the throat, make it quick."

Blake didn't want to kill. There were hundreds of Faunus who would have been excited to be in this position, but she-

"You don't have to like it," Krile said, "but it needs to hap-"

Blake froze up as Arenvald dove in front of her, blocking a stab from Winter, "It needs to happen, Blake! Even if Ruby kills this Primal, if there are any Tempered left alive, they'll never stop trying to bring her back! Go!"

Blake bit her tongue, holding Gambol Shroud in a reverse grip… and moved towards the Tempered soldiers.

Damnit, Hydaelyn.

\- X **Winter** X-

Winter summoned two Beowolves, sending them both charged at Arenvald with a glare. He struck one with his sword, slashing through the ice with ease before and caught the second with his shield, throwing it at her. Dispelling it, Winter charged through the icy mist, running up the shield and landing behind Arenvald, going for a chink in his armor.

Arenvald flipped his sword in his hand, stabbing backwards toward Winter and forcing her back. He turned with surprising speed for someone his size, slashing with the reversed sword to force her further back before he flipped the sword again and charged at Winter, shield bared.

Winter created another Glyph, stabbing into it to create an ornate shield of ice. Let's see him-

Winter's eyes widened as Arenvald smashed into the ice, shield first, and barreled right through it. Dodging him, Winter drove her sword into his side, ice crawling up the wound. Arenvald just gritted his teeth, spinning and driving his sword into her left shoulder. Her Aura flickered around the injury, but couldn't seem to stop the blade as her nerves told her what she already knew. This injury was much worse than what she had inflicted on Arenvald.

Forming several glyphs, Winter sent a pair of Manticore at Arenvald, jumping onto the nearest Glyph. The towering man hissed as the Grimm yanked his arms apart, Winter smirking at him.

Leaping forwards, Winter slashed into his side, landing on the glyph behind him, she pulled back Mohnblume, eyes training on his spine. Here she-

Before she could finish that thought, a woman in red landed in front of them, a katar swinging out and slashing through the Manticore holding onto Arenvald's sword hand, which he promptly drove into the other Manticore. At the same time, another girl, who looked disturbingly like Weiss, landed between Winter and Arenvald, hold a rapier upside down, "Fleche!"

Blue-white swords formed around the girl, launching towards Winter. Winter pulled the trigger on Mohnblume, catching the parrying dagger within to deflect them.

"Who's this?" The woman in red asked, pressing a hand against Arenvald's side.

"Hells if I know," Arenvald said, "She just started following us, then attacked us when we got here!"

"I didn-!"

"Y'shtola and Jaune are landing a bit further out," the red woman said, "Can you make it to them?"

"Oh, sure," Arenvald said, staggering to his feet, "it isn't like near evisceration has stopped me before, has it?"

"Whatever you say," Red said, "Where's Ruby?"

"Fighting the Primal," Arenvald said, limping forward, "Lyse… be careful. She's Echo-Blessed."

"I will," 'Lyse' said.

"Good," Arenvald said, "I don't want to go down as the man who got the leader of the Ala Mhigan resistance killed saving his sorry arse."

"You won't-" Before Winter could say anything, the white haired girl swung her rapier again, wind batting her back.

"Your fight is with us," Lyse said, eyes closed. Her neck muscles tightened, the only warning Winter got before Lyse suddenly launched past her companion, punching for Winter's throat. Winter dodged back, feeling the tip of Lyse's katar brush against her neck. Landing, Winter dodged the attack from the white haired teen.

\- X **Lyse** X-

"You see that?" Lyse asked the inhabitants of the airship.

"No," Y'shtola said, voice blunt.

"Arenvald is in trouble," Lyse told her, standing up and opening the door, the loose fabric of her outfit lashing around, "land nearby, I'm going down."

"Hey, what are you-?" Before the pilot could finish, Lyse tipped off the airship, deploying the katar in her right vambrace as she went.

Nothing was testament to Ala Mhigo's dedication to combat like an ornate dress having a weapon in it by default. Or maybe Yda had added it, Lyse honestly didn't know.

Feeling her arm harden, Lyse landed in front of Arenvald, slashing through one on the creature's with her katar, the ice shards bounce off her arm. Arenvald drove his sword into the other creature, blood pouring down his ripped arms.

Alisaie landed a moment later, her rapier in focus mode as she swung it wide, Aether whirling around her before crystallizing into swords, "Fletch!"

"Who's this?" Lyse asked, watching the woman deflect the spell with a pair of swords.

"Hells if I know," Arenvald growled, "She just started following us, then attacked us when we got here!"

Lyse nodded, the hardening of her arms fading, "Y'shtola and Jaune are landing a bit further out, can you make it to them?"

"Oh, sure," Arenvald joked, staggering to his feet, "it isn't like near evisceration has stopped me before, has it?"

"Whatever you say," Lyse said, cracking a smile, "Where's Ruby?"

"Fighting the Primal," Arenvald said, storing his weapons and walking away, even as blood poured down his arm, "Lyse… be careful. She's Echo-Blessed."

"I will," Lyse said, shifting her body into the Way of the Destroyer.

"Good," Arenvald said, "I don't want to go down as the man who got the leader of the Ala Mhigan resistance killed saving his sorry arse."

"You won't-" Alisaie immediately cut off the woman, launching her back with a Ver-Aero.

"Your fight," Lyse said, closing her eyes and breathing in. Reaching deep inside her, Lyse silently focused on the First Chakra. Pushing it open, Lyse felt her Ki- Aether, Papalymo would have said- spike, rushing through her body and filling her muscles. Snapping her eyes open, Lyse kicked off from the ground with incredible speed, the katar barely missing the woman's throat, "Is with us."

Alisaie crossed the distance just as quickly, Black and White Aether singing along the blade of her rapier as she went. The woman dodged out of the way, hair swaying as she went.

Slamming her palm into the woman's solar plexus, Lyse watched her skid back until she crashed into a barrier. Launching after her, Lyse felt the energy gather in her left fist, memories of Yda's lessons coming forward.

The Way of the Destroyer made you a facet of Rhalgr. The magi of lightning and meteor, the World Breaker.

And so with it, you became lightning, fast and searing, you struck with the force of a meteor.

A glowing seal appeared between them just before Lyse struck, the punch smashing into it with an explosion of energy. Pulling back her other hand, Lyse retracted the katar, energy forming around her hand. Reaching deep within, Lyse pushed the second Chakra open, the red energy rising off her like flames.

Slamming the knife hand into the seal, Lyse used it to find purchase, pushing it apart enough that she could slide her other hand in, starting to pry it apart.

Before she could, screams of pain rose through the area. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven… eight? Maybe more? Maybe less? She couldn't tell.

It was hard to, when four of the screams had come from her immediate vicinity. Alisaie, Blake, Krile and the woman they were fighting all suddenly stopped fighting to clutch their heads in pain, any spells collapsing. Lyse landed in front of the woman, arm up. It'd be easy to…

She pushed that thought aside, instead focusing on the soldier aiming a gun at Blake. Yeah, that wasn't gonna happen.

Kicking off the ground, Lyse landed in front of him, spiking his arm into the air while she deployed her katar, twisting to slash his throat.

"I don't want to go," Blake whimpered from behind her, "I don't wanna."

"Hey," Lyse said, grabbing Blake's hand, "You're not going anywhere."

"But it's so _loud_ ," Blake whimpered.

What was so loud?

\- X **Haurchefant** X-

 _Haurchefant stepped out of the warmth of his office, mist forming from his mouth. Focusing on the guard, he smiled, "Have you seen her?"_

 _"Yes," the guard said, "She said she was going hunting-"_

 _"And you let her?" Haurchefant asked, horror spiking._

 _"We weren't capable of stopping her," the guard said, "I'm sorry, Lord Greystone, I truly am."_

 _"It's fine," Haurchefant said, "I know how she can get. Can you point me towards her?"_

 _"Yes, sir! She went out the western gate!"_

 _"West," Haurchefant said to himself, pulling his cloak around him and beginning to head out, "I expected her to go south…"_

 _That was the way towards Ul'dah. Towards every place Ruby Rose would_ _ **want**_ _to go. So why west?_

 _Unless… hadn't there been reports of dragons near the Gates of Judgment? Fury save him…_

 _Picking up his stride, Haurchefant marched into the stables, climbing onto the back of his black chocobo, and left Camp Dragonhead as quickly as possible._

 _It ultimately wasn't necessary, as a dragon with its left wing shorn came crashing down in front of him seconds later, barely missing crushing Haurchefant. Seconds later, Haurchefant's beloved landed on the dragon's chest, driving her halberd into the beast's heart._

 _Ruby stepped off the creature, ignoring the death spasms, and let Haurchefant see her in daylight for the first time in a month. By the Fury, the Scholar and the Mother Crystal…_

 _The Azure Dragoon was every color_ _ **but**_ _. Her skin, always pale for a Lomasian, was now almost as white as the snow. Her eyes had dulled from dancing silver to tarnished steel, with knotted hair covering them. Her armor was very nearly ruined, the spikes meant to ward dragons away from swallowing her had snapped, blood staining them and the armor. Ruby's gauntleted hand reached up, pushing the hair out of her eyes as she looked up, staining her hair a striking crimson, one grieve buckling as she lowered herself._

 _"Ruby," Haurchefant said, sliding off his chocobo. Ruby froze in place, arm still tilted backwards. "Turn around. Speak with me."_

 _Ruby's arm shook, her body quaked, and Haurchefant was ready to climb back onto his chocobo and fly after her before she finally stood, turning and resting the butt of her halberd on the ground, "Haurche…"_

 _"Tis good to see you out of the room and away from the bottle," Haurchefant said, stepping closer to her, "though I wonder the logic of slaying dragons."_

 _"Gives you more ammo for getting us in, doesn't it?"_

 _"Ammo?" Haurchefant asked. They were talking about artillery now? Or was it another of Ruby's strange turns of phrase? "Nevermind. Your armor is destroyed, it would not do us anything for you to die before I get permission to bring you it Ishgard."_

 _"But more dragons dead would make it easier to get in," Ruby repeated, voice toneless._

 _"Mayhaps," Haurchefant said._

 _"Then I'll get back to it," Ruby said, turning and pressing her foot against the ground. Haurchefant grabbed her by the wrist, halting her while the vambrace fell apart , "Haurche?"_

 _"What's wrong?" Haurchefant asked, well aware that Ruby wasn't hindered in the slightest, "Please, you can tell me."_

 _"...I'm sick of this, Haurche," Ruby said, voice shaking._

 _"Sick of what?" Haurchefant asked._

 _"Everything going_ _ **bloody well wrong**_ _!" Ruby snarled, turning towards him, "Carteneau, the Waking Sands, Ul'dah! Louisoix, Liavinne, Noraxia, Wilred, Moenbryda, Papalymo, Yda, Thancred, Y'shtola! I'm…"_

 _"Too important to just give up," Haurchefant insisted, "you have others. Masters Alphinaud and Urianger, Mistresses Alisaie and Tataru. And we are yet unsure that your friends did not survive Ul'dah. If they were dead, you would expect the traitors to show their bodies, and if they were captured, you would expect much the same. Further, messengers have said that both Limsa Lomasia and Gridania yet support you. We will see them brought to justice for their crimes, soon, for a reckoning is not to be postponed inevitably. Now, come back to Camp Dragonhead, Admiral Merylweb sent up some… ah… beans, you liked? I don't know…"_

 _"Beans?" Ruby said, before her eyes lit up, "Coco!"_

 _"What?"_

 _"C'mon," Ruby said, snagging his hand and dragging him to the chocobo, "Let's go, Haurche!"_

 _"Well, that changed your opinion quite quickly," Haurchefant said, climbing on with her, "but yes, let us depart."_

\- X **Ruby** X-

"Come out," Ruby pled, dodging the slash, "you don't need to do this!"

"Silence thy tongue!" The Primal hissed, burning eyes glaring at Ruby. Flames formed in her hands, solidifying into a massive broadsword, "or I shalt do it for you!"

"I wouldn't be annoyed if you weren't so bad at it," Ruby muttered. Urianger would complain about her speech.

" **Aye** ," Fray said, stepping forward with Cronus, " **We won-** "

* **Thump-thumb** *

Ruby staggered forward, the area twisting like she was going into an Echo-vision while a spike was driven into the side of her head. No, not now. Not-

" **No**!" Fray had fallen to her knee, Cronus sinking into the ground as she did. Through the haze, Ruby could see her face had vanished, becoming a black blur with deep set glowing red eyes as the only feature.

"What… what is this?" Myste moaned, clutching his head while the Shiva-Egi exploded into shards of ice.

 _ **Calamity… approaches. Only you can halt it.**_

"How is that different from any other day?" Ruby snarked, fighting against the force, "Serve, Slave, Save and Slay."

 _ **Only together, can we save our world**_ , the voice said, familiar, impossible.

"Now is not the time," Ruby snarled to the _Tia_ , shrugging off the dragging.

"That thou wouldest lower thineself before me," the primal laughed, drawing back slowly, "I shalt make this quick!"

" **Shut up** ," Fray tried to stand, throwing herself between Ruby and the Primal as the swing swept forward, flames eating away the remaining permafrost and ripping through the Aether that made up Fray like she wasn't there. Ruby closed her eyes against the flames, smashing through her own shield and rolling to a stop.

She didn't need her eyes to know Myste was gone too, the influx of Aether told her that. He had dispelled himself, else the Aether would have been eaten by the flames.

"You yet live?" The Primal laughed,stepping forward, "tis-"

"Enough," Ruby said, watching five flames ignited below her eyelids. Digging her fingers into the ground, drew the Aether from within.

 _"Hey Theo," Ruby said, leaning against the door of her friend's house in Revenant's Toll._

 _"How many times must I say that name holds no meaning anymore?" The last heir of Ala Mhigo asked, "call me Widergelt."_

 _"Theored was your name," Ruby said, "even if nobody else uses it, I'll keep on, so it doesn't get forgotten."_

 _"But why? Nobody would follow the kin of the Mad King," Theored said._

 _"It's got nothing to do with that," Ruby said, "you're my friend. That's all."_

 _"...I see," Theored said, "What do you need, my friend? It's dangerous for you to be here, is it not."_

 _"I got a question for you," Ruby said._

 _"You came all this way for a question?" Theored said, sounding confused, "No, never mind that. Step in, can I get you some tea?"_

 _"Do you have some?" Ruby asked._

 _"I always have some tea ready," Theored said, "What's your question?"_

 _"The Chakras are just us channeling Aether from our body, right?"_

 _"That's what Erik believes," Theored said, carefully worded, Ruby observed, to neither confirm or deny their occasional clint's words._

 _"So, what would happen if the monk was also a dragoon? Or used Black Magic?"_

 _"A dragoon… like you?" Theored said, eyeing her as he poured her a mug._

 _"Yeah."_

 _"I wouldn't know. The Order of Rhalgr has had little to do with the Ishgardians, historically."_

 _"Ok…"_

 _"As for Black Magic… much the same, few would deface the techniques in such a way. My father would have used it, if he hadn't made an enemy of them."_

Sorry, Theo…

"What?" The Primal said.

"Enough," Ruby growled, her voice gaining an otherworldly tenor as her inner dragon roaring to life, the Dark Arts howling around her body. Snapping her eyes opened, Ruby glared through the black Aether dancing around her from all five Chakras being unlocked. Her armor vanished, it would only slow her down, in its place was an open vest with bandages around her chest, "of this mummer's farce."

Ruby launched forward, the blackened, dead ground crumbling as she went. The blood of the dragon singing as she landed on the edge of the Primal's blade, pushing it into the ground. Spinning on the tip of her foot, Ruby drove her leg into the skull of the Primal, ignoring the cracking as the head came flying off, and kicked off. Sailing past the dead trees, Ruby glared down at the Primal, shattering a spear with a thrust of her palm.

Ruby had once paired a blade the size of a tower, had outfought a Primal with a thousand times more experience than this. Had faced down two members of the First Brood and _won_.

Plummeting down, Ruby drove her arm into the Primal's chest, grabbing the Aether within. Black energy pulsed up her body's byways as she _ripped_ the summoner from the Aether. Ruby glared down at the young Faunus, eyes glowing as she shattered the Aether with another well placed punch, "We're gonna have a nice long talk about what you were doing in that Primal."

\- X **Pashtarot** X-

High above them, Pashtarot watched the fight. A wide grin spread across his face as he watched it. So that was Hydaelyn's game.

Well played, well played indeed. To undo her own curse to craft a champion…

Pashtarot clapped, as he faded into Aether. Had Elidibus known?

\- X **James** X-

"What is it?" James sat back in his chair, watching the hologram of Ozpin flicker to life in front of him.

"I think that's the question I should be asking _you_ ," Ozpin said, "she's… what is she?"

"I don't know," James said, "it, she, just… showed up, walking through the damn walls of a White Fang base in Old Mantle. She's been ripping through the bases on a straight line towards the Schnee Manor."

"And why hasn't she been stopped?" Ozpin asked, hands folded.

"Because she can take high caliber rounds without slowing and can… hypnotize or brainwash almost anyone who gets too close," James reported, taking a moment to close his eyes, "We haven't had time to count the casualties, Oz… but… it's gonna be a lot, I think. She's had a lot of our men kill each other."

"I'm sorry, James," Ozpin said, "I really am."

"If we had better mechs, this wouldn't have happened," James snapped, "if we had gone after the White Fang more aggressively, this wouldn't have happened!"

"And you're certain of that? How exactly? You said you didn't-"

"I'm not in the mood for the mysterious mentor shit right now, Oz," James cut him off, growling, "I just lost a lot of men, she came from a White Fang hideout. If we had crushed them, this wouldn't have h-"

"Or it would have happened sooner," Ozpin said, "You said yourself you didn't know what this being is nor how it came to be."

I-" James stood up, reaching for the hologram, before falling back into his chair, head sagging, "I know. But there must have been something we could have done! Something to avoid this, Ozpin. Anyth-!"

James went silent, eyes widening. The warrior, he and his allies clearly knew SOMETHING about Été. He needed to…

"I'll call you back, Oz," James said, reaching for the button to hang up.

"Where are you going?" Ozpin asked.

"There might be a group who knows what this thing is," James said, "I'm going to get them."

"James," Ozpin said, "Don't do anything drastic. Bring them he-"

James slammed the button, the hologram vanishing, before he typed in another number, "Doctor Polendina? Activate P.E.N.N.Y. I need her."

"General?" The doctor asked, "I'm not sure-"

"Ten minutes," James said, hanging up. Finally, he pulled up the link to Winter, Specialist Schnee? What is your location?"

Nothing.

Shit.

"Specialist Schnee?" James asked, pulling up the tracker. Still nothing. He hit the button to call Polendina again, "Make that five minutes."

"You can't-!"

"Get it done, Doctor," James said, flicking open his revolver and loading six ice dust rounds and one lightning dust shell.

He had already lost too many men to this threat, he wasn't losing one more.

\- X **Y'shtola** X-

Y'shtola 'watched' Jaune buckle, raising Truthseeker. Some form of attack? Or what?

After a minute, Y'shtola lowered Truthseeker, walking over to Jaune and Ilia, "How is he?"

"He's not responding," Ilia said dutifully from where she was poking Jaune with a stick. A sharp one, at that. Y'shtola cast an unimpressed look at Ilia, batting the stick aside, "What?"

"Do you truly expect me to believe you couldn't have found a stick that wasn't sharp, or better yet, not used a stick at all?"

"Why do you care?" Ilia said, "he's a human."

"If you are going to stand with the Scions," Y'shtola rebuked, "than you will need to abandon such thoughts. We do not differentiate between race."

"You might not," Ilia muttered bitterly, "but the humans do, even if you don't- OW!"

Y'shtola took a page out of Master Matoya's book, rapping Ilia atop the head with Truthseeker, "How would you feel if a human said the same of your kind?"

"That's different! They started this!" Ilia insisted.

"And if I asked a civilian on the train, galvanized against Faunus by your actions, would they not say _you_ started this?" Ilia's silence told Y'shtola everything she needed, even if she couldn't see her face, "I don't say this to diminish whatever pushed you to this point, Ilia. It is merely a fact that I have yet to see a single conflict nearly as one sided as _either_ side believes it to be. I've seen nothing that implies Jaune is worthy of your scorn."

Ilia didn't answer, standing up, "Fine. But I don't trust him."

"Good, now-" Y'shtola sighed as her linkpearl went off, "if it isn't one thing, tis another. Hello?"

"Dear Y'shtola," Urianger said, "tis good to hear thy voice. How goes the journey?"

"It has been… eventful," Y'shtola said, "and yours?"

"Blessedly calm," Urianger said, "Master Matoya and I have returned from our trip in one piece… in spite of Matoya's complaints."

"That do- wait," Y'shtola said, "You say that you've journeyed to Sharlayan and back?"

"Indeed," Urianger said, "it hath borne fruit."

"But how?" Y'shtola asked, "We only departed a week ago."

"A week?" Urianger said, "That isn't accurate, twas a month since you depa- unless… ah, there must be some manner of time distortion between the worlds. Speaking of which, how are Arenvald and Krile?"

"Well, I suspect," Y'shtola said, "but I've yet to see them myself. Tell me, you said it bore fruit, how?"

"While the Senate continues to reject our requests to join the battle against Garlemald-"

"Of course," Y'shtola said, "They'd sooner have the world be consumed by Calamities, under the deluded belief-"

"-That Garlemald will stop at Eorzea, just as the Senate believed that they would stop in Ilsabard, then Othard," Urianger said, "Aye, I believe much the same, unfortunately. We can only hope they who are below the Senate will be of more level heads. The Sons of Saint Coinach and Students of Baldesion have both seen the destruction that Garlemald hath wrought, they may yet urge the masses into motion."

"If only," Y'shtola sighed. They hadn't listened to Louisoix, why would they listen to Galuf? "Then what is the gospel?"

"The Forum hath listened to Master Matoya and I's urgings on the matter of Ruby. After a convention that was _stunningly_ brief, they decided that their previous decision on the matter of her thesis was shortsighted and wrong, and that furthermore, she hath shown a mastery of many fields of Aetheric Attunement."

"You can not mean-?"

"I do," Urianger said, "as of that meeting, Ruby Rose joined us officially and irrevocably as an Archon of Sharlayan in the field of Aetheric manipulation and dispersion."

-X AN X-

Thoughts, questions and opinions? Good, Bad, Meh?


	13. Chapter 13

Sorry this took so long to get out. I went wandering full ADHD and started a new fic (among other things).

—-X **Ruby** X—-

Ruby trekked through the destroyed forest, one hand holding the girl who caused all this by the shirt. She hadn't said a word the entire time, trying to keep her anger down.

A child, a godsdamned _child_ had been used to summon a Primal. This was a new level of low, even for the Ascians.

Children had always been… not off limits, but collateral. Dying because of Calamities, Primal rampages, or sacrificed by the Beastmen without the Ascians urgings, but never actually used for the source of the summoning.

"...'m sorry," The Girl squeaked out as Ruby walked forward with heavy feet. Ruby stopped, looking down at her.

"I'm not angry at you, kid," Ruby said, before beginning to continue their movement. The spell to create a new Primal was too complicated for a kid her age to cast. Stifling a groan, Ruby pressed her finger to the Linkpearl earing in her ear as it went off, "Warrior of Light, make it quick."

"Did I catch you at a bad time, old friend?" Cid nan Garlond asked.

"No," Ruby said with a sigh, "just a bit moodier than normal. What's this call about?"

"News," Cid said, "and moodier than normal? That's a Calamity and a half, given than you've been in one mood after another since the Incident in Ul'dah."

Ruby cracked a smile, "No, it just seems that every time we see each other, things have plummeted straight to the Seventh Gate. What's the bad news?"

"I didn't say it was bad news," Cid said, "and I'm not sure it is. News is the only term I can give it, at this point."

"Then what's the news?" Ruby asked, stepping into the clearing where Y'shtola was kneeling over most of their team, worry immediately spiking as she dropped the girl in Lyse's lap, "Actually, give me a moment, Cid. What happened?"

"I don't know," Lyse said, shaking her head, "They just collapsed."

"Gods be good," Ruby muttered.

"They're fine," Y'shtola said, "Well, each except Jaune. He continues to draw breath, but is yet to move. Who is the child?

"Alright," Ruby said, the question sinking in a second later, and she answered it before returning to the Linkpearl conversation, "She was in the Primal. Alright, Cid, what's this news?"

"In the Primal?" Y'shtola said, "Like-?"

"I think we found Omega."

Ruby stopped, her grip on Chaos Blade growing tight, blood thrumming. In her conscious, she felt Midgardsormr begin to stir. Omega? "Where?"

"Outside Ala Mhigo," Cid said, "How soon can you get here?"

"Probably… not for at least a few weeks."

"Then we'll keep-"

"Excuse me!" Ruby ignored the interruption.

"-an eye on it, move in if we see anyone from Garlemald moving in. That machine took down Shinryu, I'm not risking my men if it went rogue.

"I understand," Ruby, "I'll try and get things done here as quickly as possible, so we can deal with i-"

"Excuse me!" Ruby snapped to attention at the ginger-haired girl around Blake's age waving at them from the corner of the clearing, hearing Lyse and Y'shtola shift behind her, "Salutations! I'm Penny Polendina, and I've been sent here to find the group responsible for the defeat of the creature known as Été!"

-X Penny X—-

Penny sat in the seat across from General Ironwood, CPU running through every combat program she had. The airship they were on, the Atlesian Mobile Command Center 1: Valor was moving at full speed, meaning they would be at their destination in five minutes and twenty-seven seconds.

"Penny," Ironwood said, looking up from the newest report, "I have new additions to the mission report."

"Yes, sir?" Penny asked.

"An advanced drone just confirmed that the people we're looking for eliminated Été. Instead of assisting, you are to attempt to convince them to return to Valor with you. If they refuse, do what you must retrieve Specialists Schnee and Bronzewing, then retreat back to Valor for support. Am I understood?"

"Yes, General," Penny nodded, mind running through scenarios, "Do we know their abilities?"

"Not entirely," General Ironwood said, "I can only say for certain that the one who killed Été is capable of manifesting black flames with their Aura. What those flames do is still partially unknown, but she _did_ appear to use them to pull a Faunus from Été immediately prior to her defeat."

Penny nodded, taking the information in stride and compiling it… but not sure what that actually meant. How was that possible, and why would it affect the mission?

"I'll get going, then," Penny said, standing up and smiling at General Ironwood, who gave a curt nod back.

"Good luck."

Penny stepped out of the office, heading for the hanger and running through all the ways this could go.

She didn't even _begin_ to realize how flawed the data she had was until she met the Scions of the Seventh Dawn for the first time.

-X Y'shtola X—-

Y'shtola stifled the confused gasp as she looked at the girl. Her Aetheric makeup was... different, like a mammet. No, not _like_ a Mammet.

Not for the first time, the Miqo'te was left to marvel at what people were capable of when separate from the ability to use magic. The Garleans had conquered a continent despite that weakness, Garlond Ironworks was second to one in creation, and now the people of Remnant, already equal or surpassing Garlemald, had done something approaching that of ancient Allag, created an artificial hyur, soul and all.

But was that truly surprising? Their journey so far had shown that, if anything, Ruby had forgotten much of what would have been hard for someone from Eorzea, from all of Hydaelyn, to believe. Adam and Blake's weapons, for one example. The closest that came to them were the gunweapons of the Garleans, rapier and focuses of the Red Mages, and Chaos Blade and Highway Star… which were also of Garlean make.

Now that Y'shtola thought about it, she wasn't sure where Alisaie had gotten her skill with red magic, much of the largest order, the Crimson Duelists, had been wiped out during the first, failed rebellion against the King of Ruin. Yda, the _real_ Yda, had known a young man in them, Lam… something.

A question for another time, though. Right now, they had something else to deal with. Much of their party was out of commission, and now a girl of metal had come looking for them. But for what reason?

Ruby, evidently, had come to the same question, a flare of Aether letting her catch Chaos Blade and Highway Star. Y'shtola immediately called out in Eorzean, cutting Ruby off, "Ruby."

"I don't like this," Ruby said, voice carefully modulated to keep her thoughts from leaking through in the tone of her voice, "it seems too convenient."

"Most of our members are out of consciousness," Y'shtola said.

"Exactly," Ruby said, "then this girl just shows up? It's way too good to be true, completely opposite our luck."

Y'shtola hesitated, "Then make it clear we expect some concessions. Our weapons remain with us, our injured, the same. But we cannot afford to sacrifice a safe place to stay."

"Fine," Ruby said, before switching back to Remnantian, "Fine… We're the ones that killed… Été, I guess?"

"Yes, we were aware of that," the girl said, stepping forward, "General Ironwood would like to speak with you."

Y'shtola felt Ilia tense behind them, looking back and pressing a finger against her lips. Ilia's grip on the whip grew so tight it groaned, "She works for the Atlesian Military…"

"General Ironwood?" Ruby said, "Someone important then, good. We're willing to talk to your boss, but only if-"

"Lyse!" Y'shtola warned, letting Lyse wrap an arm around Ilia's torso as she tried to take off, hoisting the smaller girl off her feet.

"Let go of-!"

"Sleep!" Y'shtola called, pointing her staff at Ilia and sending the girl into a gentle repose.

Ruby didn't respond to the noise behind her, continuing on, "We get to take care of our own first. Until they wake up."

"I'm sure General Ironwood will understand that," Penny said, a wide smile in her voice, "I'm Penny Polendina, it's nice to meet you!"

"You already said your name," Ruby said.

"I did, didn't I?" Penny observed, slightly stilted, "What's your name?"

"I'm Ruby Rose," Ruby said, "And these are Lyse and Y'shtola. Where are we going?"

"The airship that brought me here is waiting half a mile out," she said, "They'll take us up to the Valiant."

"Miles," Ruby muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Y'shtola to hear, "I forgot they called Malms that…"

-X Ruby X—-

 _Ruby slid the bag over her shoulder, looking at the boat. Before she could take a step towards it, Louisoix held out Tupsimati, blocking her path, "What?"_

 _"You do not need to go," Louisoix said, "I do not support the Forum's decision, and will fight against it on your behalf, as will Quan."_

 _"You don't need to drag your name through the mud for me," Ruby said._

 _"Their decision was wrong," Louisoix said, eyes blazing with frustration, "fueled not by logic, but xenophobia, and a thirst to establish a precedent to allow them to continue to worship at that altar."_

 _"It's fine," Ruby said, sliding her knapsack up higher, "Really, it is. Eorzea needs adventurers, and I want to go find out about Gridanian Conjury, I'll be fine."_

 _"...Very well," Loisoix said, moving Tupsimati away from her and resting a hand on her shoulder, "then all I request is that you remember that my home shall always be open to you. As is my council, should you find yourself in need of it."_

 _"Thanks," Ruby said, touching his hand, "I should probably go before they raise anchor."_

 _"Yes," Louisoix sighed, before pulling out a book and holding it out to her. Ruby took it carefully, staring at the scroll emblazoned on it, "Keep that with you. For my own peace of mind."_

 _"Ok," Ruby said, adding it to the knapsack, "Take care of Thancred for me?"_

 _"I wish you would tell him yourself," Louisoix said, "but understand why."_

 _"It's easier this way," Ruby insisted, "He'd want to come with me, and I already did too much harm."_

 _"You didn't do any harm," Louisoix insisted, "the Forum did. I wish you good fortune in your journey, Ruby."_

 _"Thanks," Ruby said, stepping onto the ship's gangplank, watching Louisoix turn and begin to head back towards the city proper, and spoke under her breath, "for everything."_

 _"Conjury?" Ruby turned, watching Matoya walk towards her, "that's your excuse girl? You barely can use the basics, the Padjal couldn't teach you anything that couldn't be taught here."_

 _"It worked," Ruby defended, "I'm done with learning magic right now, I want to be an Adventurer, and Eorzea needs them. That wasn't a lie."_

 _"It only worked because Leveilleur was willing to let it work," Matoya said._

-X Blake X—-

Blake came to consciousness with a stifled groan, rolling over and opening her eyes. Sitting across from her was Ruby, wearing, bafflingly, a black, long sleeved t-shirt with the symbol of Atlas on it. Compared to outfit she had worn on the train, to the armor she had worn after, it was... _bizarre_ , to see her in something so 'normal'.

Finally, the older woman inclined her head, cracking a small smile, "Hey."

"Hi…?" Blake said, pushing herself up and asking the first thing on her mind, "Why are you wearing an Atlas shirt?"

"Because they stubbornly refuse to turn up the temperature on this damn thing," Ruby said, "but were willing to give me this. So this I wear."

Blake cracked a smile, before frowning, "but that implies…"

"We're on an Atlas ship? Yeah, sorry, but if I have to continue to put up with Lolorito, you're gonna have to learn to put up with these guys. Scions don't acknowledge borders, bar outstanding circumstances. Which I feel betraying us cou-

"Ok," Blake said, looking down and drowning out Ruby's complaining. She was surprised Atlas let them on, after-

"Want to talk about it?" Ruby asked suddenly.

"What?"

"Lyse and Arenvald told me what happened. With the Tempered. Want to… talk isn't the right word. Want to yell at me about it?"

I-"

"I'm not gonna be mad at you," Ruby said, handing Blake a glass of water from the sink. Blake's grip on it grew tight, shaking and-

" _Why'd you send me to do it!_?" Blake finally snarled, throwing the glass at Ruby's head. It missed, slightly, and shattered next to her head, several shards digging into the pale flesh and sending blood as black as pitch rolling down her face. One drop, two drops, then each wound sealed shut, scabs the same color sealing the injuries shut while Ruby continued to stand there without a flinch. Flames ignited in her hand, but she only hovered it next to her shirt, drying it before the water had a chance to let in, "I didn't- I shouldn't- I-"

"If you're expecting me to apologize for what you had to do," Ruby said simply, but not unkindly, "you'll be waiting a long time. If you expect me to apologize for _you_ having to do it… well, that I can give you. It's horrible, and it's gonna haunt you for a very long time. If you're lucky, if we're both lucky, not as long as it haunts me."

What the hell did that even mean?

"I'm sorry, Blake, I really am," Ruby said, "but you did the only thing you could for them-"

"We could have them go!"

"So they could summon the Primal again?" Ruby asked, "and kidnap people to force them into being Tempered? Because that's what happens. There's a reason they can't be allowed to live, Blake. Their entire life, their entire existence becomes tied to how best to serve the Primal. If the Primal is gone, that means bringing them back no matter the cost. If the Primal is around, it means adding more to their worshippers."

"...How can you just say that?" Blake asked, voice shaking.

"Because I've seen it happen," Ruby said, silver eyes darkening to a sad blue, "I've seen races destroyed because too many are Tempered. What happened earlier, what you did… I won't try to convince you it was a good thing, or that you should feel like you did something to be proud of. But you did do the right thing."

"It doesn't feel right," Blake said, voice hollow.

"I know," Ruby said, crouching in front of Blake, "I really do. I've had to kill people important to me because they were Tempered. I've seen that Tempered had families before it happened. Right probably wasn't the… well, the right word, but it was necessary."

Blake clenched her eyes shut, tears streaming down her face. Ruby wrapped her arms around Blake, "it's not… I don't… don't make me do that again, please "

"Not if I don't have to," Ruby said, "I've got something for you."

"Wha-?" Blake blinked as she stared at the crystal Ruby was offering her. It was black with a red circle in the center,"What-?"

"Soul Crystal," Ruby said, shrugging, "It was a gift from Shun, but I could never get it working. Maybe you'll do a bit better with it?"

Blake carefully took the Crystal, feeling her Aura wrap around it. For a second, a vision flashed of a woman on a frog holding a pair of oversized shuriken, then she stared up at Ruby, storing it, "Thanks."

"Don't thank me," Ruby said, "it's better if someone who could actually use the damn thing used it."

-X **Jaune** X—-

"The Exarch is free to see you," the silver haired rabbit Faunus said to Jaune and… the white haired and blue haired men, gesturing for them to follow her. Jaune followed, only to stop at the look she gave him. Oh, he was in so much trou- "And he apologizes for your state of dress when you arrived, it was… to quote him 'a completely unforeseen scenario.'"

"Is that what he calls being wrenched from the bodies we inhabit suddenly, only to be dropped naked in a forest?" The blue haired man asked with a laugh, "because I'd be quite worried if it was a foreseen scenario, if I'm completely honest."

The woman cracked a small smile, glancing at them with a sly look in her eye as she took in the trio, "Well, he's either being honest, or it was a very strange attempt at getting me into a courtship."

Jaune blushed and coughed, realizing the jab was more at him than the other two given his… reaction… but the blue haired man jumped on the grenade for him, "I'm flattered, madam…?"

"Lyna," she said.

"I'm flattered, Lyna, but priorly committed," the man said, smiling with a set of pearly white teeth, "and at the cost of mocking the very nature of my birth, very faithful to that commitment."

What?

"So you're not allowed to take offense if I call you a bastard?" The white haired man drawled.

"Your sister might," Blue said.

"Which is the first reason to call you one," White said, eyes narrowing, "because if you're who I think you are… she mourns for you, visits your grave whenever the opportunity arises."

"I'd be at her side if I could. Was trying to reach it, before this rather inconvenient summons," Blue said, "and I could level the first half of that at you, Thancred Waters. She fell to the bottle, after losing the Scions of the Seventh Dawn."

Thancred huffed a laugh, inclining his head, "and that's a point to you, I suppose, Haurchefant. Though she never did the same within sight of me, following your death, so I suppose that shows which of use she worries for more."

"Ah, but twasn't just you, was it? Twas Y'shtola, Minfilia, Yda and Papalymo too."

"He did say the person they're debating over is Thancred's sister, did he not?" Lyna asked Jaune, "because it certainly sounds like they're fighting over the favor of a lady."

"Do not blame them, Lyna," all four wheeled around to look at the man standing in the center of the room. Jaune's mouth dropped open, "Even if it's just familial, it's very easy to want to be the center of Ruby Rose's world… though I freely admit to bias on the topic."

"Oh, joy," Thancred deadpanned, "another one."

"Yes, another one," the man laughed lightly, lifting the hand that didn't look like it was made of pure crystal and gesturing towards them, "Please, come in you three. And I truly am sorry for the… abrupt and rude nature of your summons. It wasn't meant for you, but for Ruby herself. I required her assistance with a matter of urgency, and unfortunately grabbed you instead."

"What kind of matter?" Thancred asked, eyes narrowing.

"A Calamity," the man said, "what others would call a Rejoining. The annihilation of this world, and a chain reaction greater even than the Seventh Umbral Calamity on Hydaelyn."

"...Buggery," Haurchefant said, "You're exaggerating."

"I wish I was," the man said, "unfortunately, Ruby was… well, she was herself. Too headstrong and unswaying to answer the first call."

"Then call her again!" Thancred snapped.

"It's… not quite so simple," the man said, "the spell… to throw open the doors and collapse eons, it burns more Aether than I can safely give at the moment. And I can't return you home either, for the same reasons."

"How long is this going to take?" Haurchefant asked, "to gather enough Aether to try again?"

"Six months at the earliest, a year at the latest. I'm sorry, truely-"

"Six months?" Jaune asked, voice cracking. He was going to be stuck here for six mon-?

"There will be a distortion of time. I cannot say how long, but far less time will have passed in your home worlds. And as your bodies are left behind there-"

"No aging?" Haurchefant said

"Minimal aging," the man said, "it will only be noticeable to mister… ah…?"

"Jaune," Jaune said.

"Jaune. Between the rite the Scions put themselves through and your own state of being, Master Greystone, age is the last thing on either of your minds. Which, I suppose, leads me to a question. It is likely presumptuous for me to ask, given that this is my fault to begin with, but would you assist me in various ways? Three able bodies can be of incomprehensible assistance in a world like this."

Thancred trekked through the forest, eyes drilling into the back of Haurchefant's head. Finally, the boy, Jaune, spoke up, "Uh… why… why are you staring at him like that? Does it have to do with Ru-?"

The words died as Thancred's eyes jumped to him. The Archon's eyes softened, the boy hadn't done anything to deserve his scorn yet, "I believed him dead. More importantly, Ruby believed him dead."

"And in my defense," Haurchefant said, "I _was_ quite dead. Twas a spear to the chest."

"Then how are you here?" Thancred asked, anger burned in his chest, "and what in the _Seven Hells_ were you thinking, taking the blow for her?"

"Hydaelyn is how I'm here," Haurchefant said, "and I couldn't stand to see her har-"

"Your death did more harm to her than the spear would have," Thancred snarled, eyes blazing.

"And yours did more harm than the Brass Blades could have," Haurchefant shot back, "Be truthful, did you really think that, had you all stayed together, you wouldn't have been able to defeat the Brass Blades and traitors? After fighting your way to Lady Iceheart? After Ruby led a host of adventurers to fight Gaius Van Baelsar himself? After she layed low Lahabrea?"

Thancred hid the flinch, and couldn't help but wonder if Ruby had told Haurchefant that Lahabrea had been using his body at the time, or if it was an unintended jab on the other man's part. Before they could continue the debate, a cry rang out and something rushed from the forest. Before it could reach them, a chakram flew through the air, taking the head off in one blow.

Thancred and Haurchefant both drew the weapons they had been given with years of practice. Even if the weight of the pair of shortswords were different from his pair on the Source, he adjusted quickly.

Jaune drew his own weapon, a sword and shield, slower, and held them awkwardly. Thancred met Haurchefant's eyes as they reached the same conclusion.

Jaune didn't know how to fight.

Rushing to either side of him, the older men prepared to defend their new charge. Out of the forest came five more beasts, white winged gargoyles with the face of a human.

A second chakram flew out, cutting off one wing and dropping the gargoyle, before both flew backwards, as if on strings, and were caught by Lyna. She moved like a dancer from Thavnair, flowing into melee with the beast and decapitating it with a swirl.

Dodging a claw strike, Thancred impaled the gargoyle through the chest before putting the second through the head. The blood that covered the blades as he removed them from the body with a kick was a fluorescent white, and dried on the blade quickly.

Almost like Ruby's blood.

"What are these things?" Thancred asked, throwing one shortsword over another of their shoulders, and then rushing forward as they turned, slashing through the back of the throat.

"Sin Eaters," Lyna said, "They're… they were people once, before the Flood of Light changed them, destroyed the balance of Aether in their bodies."

"Jaune," Haurchefant said, "You don't know how to fight, do you?"

"I… what makes you think tha-?"

"You're holding the sword too tight," Haurchefant said, "and your grip is wrong. Lyna, I'm sorry, but I feel we should return to the city. Jaune isn't ready for this and-"

"You don't need to stop for me!" Jaume insisted.

"-I feel it would be better if we gave him that training."

Lyna nodded, "I agree, but we need to cull the herd. Thancred, would you be willing to stay and help me?"

"Sure," Thancred said, stepping away from Haurchefant and Jaune.

-X AN X—-

Thoughts, questions and opinions? Good? Bad? Meh? Probably meh right?


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